A/N SORRY! SORRY! SORRY! Late update I know, my bad. Had coursework to get done last week. But hey, Easter Holidays now people, and I know it's a little late but HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!
Well, it's pretty clear everyone despises the Twins and wants them both DEAD. Hehe, this chapter we will be having some fun with the Dwarves! Anyways, without further ado…
(And excuse the title of this chapter, it sucks.)
Chapter 41- Dining In Tronjheim
Saphira was to stay in the dragon hold above Isidar Mithrim, where the Riders used to stay when they visited Tronjheim. They had exited the great City Mountain and now Orik pointed up to Tronjheim's white pinnacle where he informed Saphira she would find fresh meat and pure mountain spring water to dine on.
"You may fly up to the dragon hold, there you will find a number of marble caves used by the dragons that stayed here long ago, you may stay in any one you wish and bedding will be brought to accommodate you," Orik told her. Then he turned to Eragon and Gimli. "And you two are hungry, come, what say we go get some food. Then you may enjoy the hospitality of the Dwarves!"
"That I should like very much," said Gimli licked his lips at the thought of the malt beers, fresh meat off the bone and roaring fires that were to be found no doubt in the kitchens.
Saphira took off in the direction of the dragon hold, sweeping above Tronjheim's peak and disappearing over the rim. Eragon craned his neck watching her go.
Orik clapped Gimli on the shoulder and steered him through twists and turns in the labyrinth of corridors, Eragon following behind listening to their conversation, until they came to a long room filled with rows of stone tables only high enough for Dwarves. Fires blazed in a soapstone oven behind a long counter. Gimli's eyes lit up as he smelt the food and for perhaps the first time since arriving in Alagaësia, he felt truly familiar and at home in his surroundings. And talking to Orik on the way down here, he found that the culture of the Dwarves in this land were not so dissimilar to those of his native Middle earth. This delighted him. And for the first time, he thought about not been able to get to the Undying Lands. If that were so, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to stay in Farthen Dûr. Except, Legolas wouldn't like it too much. He grinned as he thought of the Elf.
"Orik, when we have dined may I go and see my friends?" he asked the other Dwarf.
Orik stopped for a moment and thought. "I don't think you will be able to see them just yet. You will have to talk to Ajihad about that. For now rest and enjoy yourself. We have much to talk about, I want to know all about the Dwarves of your homeland!"
Gimli agreed. Another Dwarf was speaking to Orik now, Eragon could not understand what the Dwarves conversed about, but Gimli found he could pick up words that were familiar to him and put them together to grasp what was being talked about. The only thing that greatly differed really was the accents.
Another Dwarf came out from behind the counter bearing stone plates piled with steaming hot food. The Dwarf smiled and handed Gimli a platter while Eragon took his. Then Orik took them up several flights of stairs and into a small alcove carved out of Tronjheim's outer walk where they sat and ate.
Orik left them momentarily to go back down to the kitchens. When he returned he had gathered in his stoat arms three rather large tankards brimming with mead. Gimli's eyes lit up. Proper Dwarvish mead! That he hadn't tasted in… he couldn't remember. This was a welcome sight. Orik handed one to him and Gimli gulped it down as if it was the first drink of his life.
Orik looked at him and laughed. Eragon was dumbfounded as he took small sips of the potent liquid. Gimli looked up and placed his tankard down before him. A look of deep contentment on his face. He sighed deeply and took out his pipe, popping it in his mouth and lit it, puffing away happily and slipping into fond memories of home. Orik did the same and they sat in silence for a while, the Dwarves smoking away and Eragon sipping his mead, trying to keep his eyes in focus as they began to blear. The mead made him feel warm and drowsy, but he managed to stay awake.
After some time, Orik spoke. "All that is needed now is a good song. Come Gimli, let us have one of your homeland!"
Gimli blew out a smoke ring and straightened up thinking for a moment. "Very well," he said standing up and removing his pipe from his mouth. "I shall sing you a song of Durin, our Father." And so he began to chant in a deep voice.
The world was young, the mountains green
No stain yet on the moon was seen,
No words were laid on stream or stone
When Durin woke and walked alone.
He named the nameless hills and dells;
He drank from yet untasted wells;
He stopped and looked in Mirrormere,
And saw a crown of stars appear,
As gems upon a silver thread,
Above the shadow of his head.
The world was fair, the mountains tall,
In Elder Days before the fall
Of mighty kings in Nargothrond
And mighty Gondolin, who now beyond
The Western Seas have passed away:
The world was fair in Durin's day.
A king he was on carven throne
In many pillared halls of stone
With golden roof and silver floor,
And runes of power upon the door.
The light of sun and star and moon
In shining lamps of crystal hewn
Undimmed by cloud or shade of night
There shone for ever fair and bright.
There hammer on the anvil smote,
There chisel clove, and graver wrote;
There forged was blade, and bound was hilt;
The delver mined, the mason built.
There beryl, pearl, and opal pale,
And metal wrought like fishes' mail,
Buckler and corslet, axe and sword,
And shining spears were laid in hoard.
Unwearied then were Durin's folk;
Beneath the mountains music woke:
The harpers harped, the minstrels sand,
And at the gates the trumpets rang.
The world is grey, the mountains old,
The forge's fire is ashen cold;
No harp is wrung, no hammer falls:
The darkness dwells in Durin's halls;
The shadow lies upon his tomb
In Moria, in Khazad-dûm.
But still the sunken stars appear
In dark and windless Mirrormere;
There lies his crown in water deep,
Till Durin wakes again from sleep.
Gimli finished his song and stuck his pipe back in his mouth. And blew another smoke ring as Orik and Eragon clapped. "Wonderful!" said Orik, and then he sighed. "What happened in your land is happening in ours. The world outside of Farthen Dûr seems bleak from what we hear."
Gimli smiled sincerely. Yes, Alagaësia seemed a bleak place at this moment in time, Urgals on the move and gathering forces, Galbatorix's plans. He was just glad that Middle earth had found peace and conquered the darkness that would have consumed all. He hoped this land could do the same.
"Are there other Dwarven cities Orik?" Eragon asked.
Orik sighed. "Not as many as we would like and Tronjheim is the greatest of them all. Believe it or not, most of Tronjheim is actually deserted; you would not know this having only seen the lower levels, but the farther you go up, the emptier it gets. There are levels that have lay untouched for centuries, some would say it is a waste to have all that unused space, but us Dwarves much prefer to make our homes deep under Farthen Dûr and Tronjheim. But this place has a very big advantage because of its size; in times of great peril it can hold entire nations of our people with room to spare! Though there have only ever been three incidences of this happening in our history. This has saved our race from destruction many a time and we always keep it garrisoned should such an extreme need drive us to do the same a forth time."
"This is a truly magnificent place," said Gimli. "It could rival the Glittering Caves of my home land."
Orik smiled. "Your home must be a truly marvellous place if it has such wonders as Tronjheim."
"Yes, it is," said Gimli. He blew out another smoke ring and watched it float before his eyes for a few seconds before it was blown away, shrinking into the air around it as he blew out another.
"Orik, is there somewhere I can take a bath or something?" asked Eragon. "I am caked with filth and I smell pretty bad."
"Of course, you should have said something sooner! Follow me," Orik got to his feet and led them back down the stairs to the kitchen, dropping their plates off on their way out. A Dwarf in the corridor stopped and bowed suddenly to Eragon saying "Argetlam," in greeting.
Eragon, a little confused and lost for words, he nodded his head in acknowledgment and the Dwarf went on his way.
"Erm, Orik, what was that about? And what does Argetlam mean exactly?" said Eragon unsurely.
Orik laughed. " 'Silver hand'. it's an old Elvish word used for the Riders, referring to the silver on their hand from where they touched their dragon for the first time. Come now, to the baths. I will have fresh clothing for you. Your I will…. Well I could have them mended for you." Said Orik his smile fading as he looked Eragon up and down in his tattered bloodstained clothing.
Gimli laughed. "Might as well throw the lot away! You do not have to be an expert to see that his garb is beyond repair!"
Orik led them down a long staircase until they were well below Tronjheim. The tunnels here were no more than five feet high, Eragon had to bend down slightly to avoid hitting his head. They entered a bear room with a small door on the far side which Orik pointed to and explained that the pool were through there.
"I'll have fresh clothes for you, leave your old ones there," said Orik. "Come Gimli, there is more I wish to talk to you about!"
With that, the two Dwarves left the boy in the chamber alone and headed out of the chamber down the corridor to a smaller room hollowed out in the rock. There was a table and two chairs in the small room, just Dwarvish size too. They sat down and took out their pipes, smoking quietly for a moment or two, and then Gimli started up conversation.
"Tell me Orik, what does that mean? The symbol engraved on your helm? I have seen it throughout Tronjheim."
"Oh, this," Orik took his helmet off and laid it before him on the table, admiring the hammer and stars engraved on it. "It is the symbol of my clan. We are the Ingietum, metalworkers and master smiths. You see the hammer and stars in Tronjheim because it was the personal crest of Korgan, our founder. One clan to rule, with twelve surrounding. King Hrothgar is Dûrgrimst Ingietum and has brought my house much glory, much honour."
"Like the emblems of Durin. An anvil and a hammer surrounded by a crown with seven stars. He was one of the first Dwarves to waken in Middle earth and is the founder of my folk," said Gimli.
"Tell me, how exactly did you get to become such good friends with an Elf?" asked Orik. "A friendship such as that among our races is virtually unheard of here."
"It was back home too. You may not believe this, but when Legolas and me first met, we despised each other due to the rivalry between Elves and Dwarves. Though who would have thought, he turned out to be the best friend I will ever have. We came to be friends after the War of-"
Gimli stopped, checking himself. No one knew of his past here and the Twins had been barred from reading such details as the War of the Ring. He had to be careful what he said.
"A great battle took place in our land, which our side thankfully won. We were forced to work together to help our friends and we eventually found some common ground and have been loyal friends ever since and I received the title of Elf-friend," said Gimli careful of what he said.
Orik nodded. "An unlikely friendship," he chuckled.
-:0:-
The guards stepped aside and unlocked the door, pushing it open so that Ajihad could enter, then it was closed behind him. Legolas got to his feet from where he had been seated on a chair next to the desk that sat in the corner of the room. Murtagh sat at the table in the middle of the room.
The leader of the Varden pulled up a chair at the table opposite Murtagh, slumping in it at ease. He looked around the room, which was richly decorated with carvings on the ceiling and a plush rug covered the floor. There was a wash basin in the corner and two beds at the back of the room which was warmly lit with the soft glow of the lanterns that could be found throughout Farthen Dûr.
"Have a seat, please," said Ajihad indicating for Legolas to sit at the table with them.
The Elf obliged and sat with his arms folded eyeing Ajihad coldly.
"I have come to discuss the conditions of your captivity," Ajihad began, his hands forming a steeple on the table in front of him. "I hope you both can understand and accept my reasoning for keeping you both in confinement. But I wish to assure you, you shall not be kept as my prisoners here."
Murtagh scoffed. "Well it sure seems that way," he said acidly.
Ajihad ignored his comment and continued. "You may have access to anything you need, books, paper, ink, food, drink, whatever. As long as you stay here in this room and give us no problems. You may leave only if you agree to let the Twins test you and you are proven trustworthy. Though with you two, I see that shall not be happening anytime soon. Just ask if you need anything and it shall be gotten for you," said Ajihad.
Murtagh's eyes lost some of their steeliness. "So, we may have anything we want?"
Ajihad nodded. "Within reason of course."
"And, all we have to do is be good and course you no qualms and we shall be left in peace?" Murtagh questioned further.
"Exactly," Ajihad inclined his head.
"Well, that works well enough for me!" said Murtagh more happily.
"Good, any questions?" Ajihad asked. When he found his charges had none, he rose to his feet and made for the door.
"Wait," Legolas spoke up making Ajihad turn to acknowledge him. "How is Arya?"
Ajihad lowered his head and his eyes darkened. "The healers are with her. They assure me she should be well once they have finished with her. But we can only wait." With that he inclined his head slightly and left the room. They heard the bolt slide into place and the key turn in the lock, and then the heavy footsteps of the leader of the Varden grow distant as he turned and went down another corridor.
Legolas sat forward and made a steeple with his hands on the table, resting his head against them and sighing.
"Ha, did you hear that? We can have whatever we want! I intend to enquire into the books they have here. But first, I'm hungry, and I intend to take full advantage of their hospitality," Murtagh grinned and swaggered over to the door knocking once. A small grate slid back and he was met with the cheerful face of one of their guards. "Excuse me, is it possible to have some food brought? And perhaps something to drink?"
The guard nodded and, after a word with the other guard, walked off down the corridor to fulfil Murtagh's request.
"I could really get used to this room service you know!" Murtagh jested, flopping down on his bed and putting his hands behind his head, gazing up at the ornately carved ceiling. But after a time when he received no reply from the Elf, he rolled up onto his elbows to look at him. "Legolas?"
He had not moved, he still sat with his head resting on his hands, staring down at the table in apparent deep thought. Murtagh shrugged and rolled onto his back again. He sighed. He was finally safe here in Farthen Dûr. He had not felt truly safe in a very long time. He grinned to himself. Maybe this place wouldn't be too bad.
A/N Again, apologies for the lateness of this update, but hope you guys like.
Reviewers
TrekkieGreenieShannaraElfOfMe- oO. Ok, don't really know who all those are, but I really get the impression you would really like to destroy them all in some psychopathic way. But it is good to be really random and get those murderous thoughts out in the open huh? For example: Orochimaru must die and quit trying to steal Sasuke-kun's body! Ok, I'm good.
Tim, Digidestined of Loyalty- Hey, yeah I know, I'm been mean! But a lot of things in this story have mainly been centred around Legolas, so I wanted to give Gimli some time in the spotlight. Yeah, hoping Legolas' training has paid off for Eragon! Oh yeah, I watched the Digimon movie today too, didn't think I'd like it, but I thought it was kind of ok! Ha, not really into Digimon.
Moonyasha- Hey, thanks and a very Happy Easter to you too! Yeah, well would you really let those little slim balls into your mind? I sure as hell wouldn't! wow, that is a hell of a lot of police cars they are been chased by there! If I was Artàri, I would try to bite Malthen's head of to!
Cylleil- You have just made me the most jealous green eyed monster ever! No fair, I would kill to go to Disney world! Yep, should be seeing some more Arya soon too. Thanks!
Zammy- Those books sound really cool! I want to read them. Have to add it to my 'Books I Will Read One Day Even If it Kills Me' list. I have a million on there right now which people have recommended to me. Top of that list currently is the Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice. So many books, so little time/money! Thanks, now go read Eragon!
the-burglar- Yeah, actually I think there are 6 billion people in the world, and I bet if everyone read this book, they would definitely all hate the Twins. It's so tempting to just kill them off in some horrible way they totally deserve, but I can't until I know what Christopher Poalini has planned for them. Dammit! Arrg, test! Good luck!
SageWriting- Don't give me those kind of ideas! It's too tempting to carry through with! I want them so dead!
Xiad Rusco- Thanks. I know :sniff sniff: I don't want it to end! But it will be back in August as soon as I get my hands on book 2! Hmmm, maybe I will post it when I finish it.
Joou Himeko Dah- Thank you! Yes, go buy the book, it is brilliant and I'm glad you like this fic!
Well, thanks everyone! And I will try my very best to keep updates more frequent, but sometimes school work and stuff gets in the way. So, until next time!
Laters
Lolly pop