Thank you to all of you for reviewing even the shortest chapters!!!
Here is the next one, as always thanks to Little My for beta reading!
Oh… and laure: thanks for the candy... *blup* … the diet will start tomorrow :-)
On with the story… and let me know if you like it!!!
___
A man rose to meet them, and his bearing left no doubt that he was the leader of this
nice group of men who regarded the dwarves with less than friendly looks. He
ignored the dwarves completely, his dark eyes boring into the man who had led them
there.
'These dwarves have lost their way,' the man spoke quickly, his voice having lost
much of its confidence. 'I offered them our hospitality, and surely one of us will be
able to lead them out of these woods.'
As the dark eyes finally turned on the dwarves, Gimli quickly stepped forward, bowing
low.
'Ilmig, son of Niolg, at your service,' he spoke, careful to keep his tone pleasant. His
companions mirrored his gesture but offered their real names. For them there was no
reason not to do so.
The man returned a hint of a bow. 'Karim,' he offered his own name. 'Pleased to
meet you.' His eyes had quickly assessed them, and Gimli could not shake the
feeling that he was already counting the pieces of gold each of them carried with him.
'Of course you are welcome, and we will help you to find your way. Where is it that
you desire to go?"
'To the Lonely Mountain,' Gimli answered. 'But these woods must be cursed by
elves, for we lost our way and would still be wandering without knowledge of where
we are had we not met your men.'
With these words he turned to the one who had led them, and fumbling in the pouch
at his belt he tried to ignore the greedy looks that passed over many faces watching
him. Finally, he produced a small piece of gold and handed it to the man.
'I said you would be rewarded for your help,' he said and bowed once more. Then he
turned away, trying hard not to laugh at the suddenly innocent faces looking at him.
He used the moment to take a long look around, and finally his gaze came to rest
upon what he had been searching for. For a moment his heart constricted as he saw
the still figure of his dearest friend. He was a good fifty feet away but Gimli instantly
recognized the golden hair. What worried him was that Legolas did not move. He sat
on the ground, tied to a tree just like Elladan had told him. But his head hung low, his
chin resting on his chest and the fall of hair hiding his face.
Feeling Karim's inquiring gaze, Gimli realized he had stared a moment too long to
hide his interest in the captive elf. So he chose a course of action as he let surprise
show on his face.
With a gesture towards the bound form he asked, 'What is this? A captive?'
With curiosity plain on his face he started to move towards the captive, neatly
evading the restraining arm and continuing as if he had not noticed. Halfway towards
Legolas, he froze.
'What is this? An elf!'
He turned to look at the man who had hurried after him. His fellow dwarves had
followed him, and he could hear their exclamations of feigned surprise and
excitement.
'An elf, indeed.'
'An elf!'
Gimli's eyes, wide with wonder and enthusiasm, met Karim's. He could see the
guarded look in them as if he was not entirely sure what to make of this.
'What business do you have with an elf? And one who bears the colors of Mirkwood?'
the dwarf asked, the right tone of excitement coloring his voice.
Karim was at a loss of what to say. He had seen Surdim bring the elf into the camp
but had refrained from asking him what it was about. Not even he, a ruthless man
who had led this group of bush rangers and thieves for years now, wished to cross
this man. So he had simply ignored the captive until now.
'An Mirkwood elf!' Gimli said again with relish. His eyes shone as he looked at the still
form once more.
'Does he still live?'
'Aye,' Karim answered. He had seen the elf talk to Dian earlier.
Gimli took a few more steps towards the elf, carefully looking him over. Then he
turned to Karim once more.
'What do you want with him?'
For a moment the man looked dumbfounded, completely taken by surprise. His main
concern had been that the dwarves might grow suspicious of them. It would have
jeopardized the plan he had for his unsuspecting guests. This turn of events was
unexpected.
As he received no answer, Gimli asked again, 'What do you want with him? Surely an
elf is of no use to you. I would pay a good price if you gave him to me.'
'What use would the elf be to you?' the man could not help but ask. He knew elves
and dwarves were not overly fond of each other, but here he sensed something else.
Gimli's eyes flashed as he took another step closer towards the elf.
'My father was taken captive by the elves of Mirkwood,' he spoke with as much
venom and hate as he could muster. He hoped the ongoing hostility between the
dwarves of the Lonely Mountain and the elves of Mirkwood was known to these men.
'He was held captive in their dungeons and had to endure much from their hands.'
At the look in his eyes, even his fellow dwarves almost believed him as he spoke on.
'I wish to have this elf to give him to my father.'
Clardyn had stepped out of her small hut, her heart clenching as she heard the
dwarf's words. Her eyes turned on the still form of the elf and her heart went out to
him. With quiet disbelief she heard Karim's answer.
'What is it you would offer for the elf, master dwarf?'
'You have no right to do this,' she cried as she stepped in front of the elf. 'He is
Surdim's captive--you cannot sell him as if he was a piece of meat.'
The man ignored her, his attention focused on the dwarf. Her eyes wandered over
them, seeking for any kind of support but finding none.
Once more Gimli fumbled in his pouch and offered a handful of gold. The man looked
at it, then down into the dwarf's eyes. A cold smile played around his lips.
'Is this all he is worth to you?'
For a moment Gimli felt compelled to wipe the smile off his face. Instead he forced
himself to smile back.
'You drive a hard bargain.'
What he carried with him was a small fortune, but he quickly noticed that gold did not
evoke the certain glimmer of greed in Karim's eyes that would tell him that he had
won. Maybe it was the man's belief that he would gain all the dwarves carried with
them anyway.
Gimli's fingers once more searched his pouch, as he thought of anything he could
offer. He had not expected the man to be so reluctant, had hoped that the offer of
gold would be enough to sway him into handing the elf over.
His fingers touched a familiar form and as always a slight stab of pain pierced his
heart. Then an idea occurred and for a moment he was undecided, not wishing to
part with a thing so precious. But one look at Legolas was all that was needed for him
to lose any doubt of what to do.
His fingers closed around the object and carefully he took it out, holding it for a
moment so only he could see it ere laying it out on the palm of his hand. The
delicately wrought necklace sparkled as the mithril caught and reflected the rays of
the sun and the rubies seemed to shine with a light of their own.
Here is the next one, as always thanks to Little My for beta reading!
Oh… and laure: thanks for the candy... *blup* … the diet will start tomorrow :-)
On with the story… and let me know if you like it!!!
___
A man rose to meet them, and his bearing left no doubt that he was the leader of this
nice group of men who regarded the dwarves with less than friendly looks. He
ignored the dwarves completely, his dark eyes boring into the man who had led them
there.
'These dwarves have lost their way,' the man spoke quickly, his voice having lost
much of its confidence. 'I offered them our hospitality, and surely one of us will be
able to lead them out of these woods.'
As the dark eyes finally turned on the dwarves, Gimli quickly stepped forward, bowing
low.
'Ilmig, son of Niolg, at your service,' he spoke, careful to keep his tone pleasant. His
companions mirrored his gesture but offered their real names. For them there was no
reason not to do so.
The man returned a hint of a bow. 'Karim,' he offered his own name. 'Pleased to
meet you.' His eyes had quickly assessed them, and Gimli could not shake the
feeling that he was already counting the pieces of gold each of them carried with him.
'Of course you are welcome, and we will help you to find your way. Where is it that
you desire to go?"
'To the Lonely Mountain,' Gimli answered. 'But these woods must be cursed by
elves, for we lost our way and would still be wandering without knowledge of where
we are had we not met your men.'
With these words he turned to the one who had led them, and fumbling in the pouch
at his belt he tried to ignore the greedy looks that passed over many faces watching
him. Finally, he produced a small piece of gold and handed it to the man.
'I said you would be rewarded for your help,' he said and bowed once more. Then he
turned away, trying hard not to laugh at the suddenly innocent faces looking at him.
He used the moment to take a long look around, and finally his gaze came to rest
upon what he had been searching for. For a moment his heart constricted as he saw
the still figure of his dearest friend. He was a good fifty feet away but Gimli instantly
recognized the golden hair. What worried him was that Legolas did not move. He sat
on the ground, tied to a tree just like Elladan had told him. But his head hung low, his
chin resting on his chest and the fall of hair hiding his face.
Feeling Karim's inquiring gaze, Gimli realized he had stared a moment too long to
hide his interest in the captive elf. So he chose a course of action as he let surprise
show on his face.
With a gesture towards the bound form he asked, 'What is this? A captive?'
With curiosity plain on his face he started to move towards the captive, neatly
evading the restraining arm and continuing as if he had not noticed. Halfway towards
Legolas, he froze.
'What is this? An elf!'
He turned to look at the man who had hurried after him. His fellow dwarves had
followed him, and he could hear their exclamations of feigned surprise and
excitement.
'An elf, indeed.'
'An elf!'
Gimli's eyes, wide with wonder and enthusiasm, met Karim's. He could see the
guarded look in them as if he was not entirely sure what to make of this.
'What business do you have with an elf? And one who bears the colors of Mirkwood?'
the dwarf asked, the right tone of excitement coloring his voice.
Karim was at a loss of what to say. He had seen Surdim bring the elf into the camp
but had refrained from asking him what it was about. Not even he, a ruthless man
who had led this group of bush rangers and thieves for years now, wished to cross
this man. So he had simply ignored the captive until now.
'An Mirkwood elf!' Gimli said again with relish. His eyes shone as he looked at the still
form once more.
'Does he still live?'
'Aye,' Karim answered. He had seen the elf talk to Dian earlier.
Gimli took a few more steps towards the elf, carefully looking him over. Then he
turned to Karim once more.
'What do you want with him?'
For a moment the man looked dumbfounded, completely taken by surprise. His main
concern had been that the dwarves might grow suspicious of them. It would have
jeopardized the plan he had for his unsuspecting guests. This turn of events was
unexpected.
As he received no answer, Gimli asked again, 'What do you want with him? Surely an
elf is of no use to you. I would pay a good price if you gave him to me.'
'What use would the elf be to you?' the man could not help but ask. He knew elves
and dwarves were not overly fond of each other, but here he sensed something else.
Gimli's eyes flashed as he took another step closer towards the elf.
'My father was taken captive by the elves of Mirkwood,' he spoke with as much
venom and hate as he could muster. He hoped the ongoing hostility between the
dwarves of the Lonely Mountain and the elves of Mirkwood was known to these men.
'He was held captive in their dungeons and had to endure much from their hands.'
At the look in his eyes, even his fellow dwarves almost believed him as he spoke on.
'I wish to have this elf to give him to my father.'
Clardyn had stepped out of her small hut, her heart clenching as she heard the
dwarf's words. Her eyes turned on the still form of the elf and her heart went out to
him. With quiet disbelief she heard Karim's answer.
'What is it you would offer for the elf, master dwarf?'
'You have no right to do this,' she cried as she stepped in front of the elf. 'He is
Surdim's captive--you cannot sell him as if he was a piece of meat.'
The man ignored her, his attention focused on the dwarf. Her eyes wandered over
them, seeking for any kind of support but finding none.
Once more Gimli fumbled in his pouch and offered a handful of gold. The man looked
at it, then down into the dwarf's eyes. A cold smile played around his lips.
'Is this all he is worth to you?'
For a moment Gimli felt compelled to wipe the smile off his face. Instead he forced
himself to smile back.
'You drive a hard bargain.'
What he carried with him was a small fortune, but he quickly noticed that gold did not
evoke the certain glimmer of greed in Karim's eyes that would tell him that he had
won. Maybe it was the man's belief that he would gain all the dwarves carried with
them anyway.
Gimli's fingers once more searched his pouch, as he thought of anything he could
offer. He had not expected the man to be so reluctant, had hoped that the offer of
gold would be enough to sway him into handing the elf over.
His fingers touched a familiar form and as always a slight stab of pain pierced his
heart. Then an idea occurred and for a moment he was undecided, not wishing to
part with a thing so precious. But one look at Legolas was all that was needed for him
to lose any doubt of what to do.
His fingers closed around the object and carefully he took it out, holding it for a
moment so only he could see it ere laying it out on the palm of his hand. The
delicately wrought necklace sparkled as the mithril caught and reflected the rays of
the sun and the rubies seemed to shine with a light of their own.