A/N- Well the start of my school term hasn't been great, but ah well, things could have been worse. (Let's hope an acid-dipped cat doesn't come and attack me now…)

I'm still thinking about giving a name to our Jolly band of fighters, but I have a few (Ok, one) idea for it. Any suggestions would be appreciated, and one will be used in the chapter just before they set off, and probably in some future chapters, with a mention at the A/N for you.

If you happen to have any preferences or ideas for where you personally want this story to go, don't forget to voice them in a review- I'll read them all. Even if they involve a pink elephant- I truly will.

Disclaimer- is as always; if you don't know what it is, read the other chapters because I'm don't get paid by the word so until I do…

Chapter 25 : Dwarves, Soup and Signs

Recap in the castle: He'd prove to them that he could be a good King, even if it was the last thing he ever did, he'd die showing the Kingdom that he was more than just a waste of space…

Recap in the woods: "Life is all about taking risks Dom."

The chilling breeze of the forest sent shivers down the fellowships' spines, the winds were unnatural. They were surrounded with trees, and there was hardly enough room for their horses to move in between the low branches, yet there were still gusts of wind coming from somewhere. Although unknowing at the time, at some point or another they had all questioned Neal's 'Picture Memory'. For Dom, it was when he'd hit his head on the branches for the sixth time, for George it was stepping in yet another hole even though he swore (Literally) that there wasn't one there before. Numair had also queried Neal's sanity after tripping over countless rocks that seemed to move in front of him when he wasn't looking, which caused him to keep his eyes sternly on the ground from then onwards. Alanna lost her temper once or twice at things only she could see- the others didn't ask her about it, she would have bitten their heads off; if the forest didn't do it first of course. Then, out of the blue, a constant humming broke into song,

"Heigh ho, heigh ho, to make your troubles go, just keep on singing all day long, heigh ho…" Neal chorused, over and over again. It started to seem like he was on a repetative loop, just to annoy them all.

"Neal, if you wouldn't mind…" Numair tried to put it the phrase, 'Stop that incessent noise now before I do something I might regret' into polite terms.

"How rude of me, of course you can take the next verse Numair. I don't want to be hogging all the fun…"

"That's not really what I meant…"

"It's ok- don't be shy! I'll sing along with you, here- repeat after me;

Heigh ho, heigh ho, heigh ho
For if you're feeling low
You positively can't go wrong
With a heigh, heigh ho"

Neal took a long-winded breath. "Now your turn!"

Numair's cheeked burned with embarssment, he wasn't the singing out loud sort of type. He decided to try and change the subject instead.

"Why are you singing?"

"Well, lot's of reasons- so I'll start at the beginning."

"That is the usual place to start Neal." Interupted Alanna, still frustrated about things only she could see. Everyone else thought they heard her grumbling things about a 'vain pink elephant' once or twice, but couldn't be sure.

"To keep my troubles at bay, and the animals too of course."

"Wouldn't some sort of war cry be more suitable?" Numair asked, genuinely interested in what Neal had to say.

"Probably; but how many war cry songs do you know?"

"There's the one the North-western tribe used, and still do, then there is the one that Tortallian warriors used to scream every time they ran into war, oh, Tyra has quite a ferocious one- or used to anyway, and the Scanran battle cry of course- that's one I've heard far too frequently."

"I'm sorry I asked…but there was in fact a deeper reason behind my choice of song."

"Which was?"

"We're just like the dwarves in it."

"Apart from the fact we're not going home from work, we're not midgets- excluding Alanna, and there is only five of us."

"Seven if you count Kel and the big cat thing."

"They shoudn't be included- which dwarf am I then?" Dom queried, hoping for the best.

"Ok, some of you have two dwarf names assigned, but that's only because there isn't enough people- and well you suit both of them. George, you're up first." Everyone had stopped, and gathered around Neal to hear what he had to say. "You're Happy and Sneezy."

"Why sneezy?" The rogue asked. To answer, Neal took a lone feather off a nearby branch, and tickled under George's nose. Not surprisingly, he sneezed rather loudly.

"That's why." Neal cleared his throat, looked around for lurking predators, then continued. "Numair, you're obviously Doc- theres no arguments there. Alanna, don't hit me, but you'd be Grumpy."

"Need I ask why?"

"Please don't- it would only end up with me getting hurt. Now, I of course, would be the cute and lovable Dopey, always getting into mischeif."

"You do know what 'Dopey' means, don't you Neal?"

"Yes I do, but just to make sure you know- you have to say first."

"Nevermind." Alanna sighed, grabbed the reins, and started to walk beside her horse.

"Who am I then?" Dom was the only one left around Neal, the others had already begun to travel ahead.

"Ah Dom, you my darling cousin, would be Sleepy, and Bashful."

"I can understand Sleepy." He yawned. "But why bashful?"

"Kel." Neal only had to say the one word and before you knew it, Dom's cheeks were as red as tomatoes, he was stuttering and staring down at his feet. "That's why."

"Over here!" Dom was spared further embarrasment due to Alanna's urgent calls. They ran, dragging their horses behind them, towards the sound of her shout.

"What's wrong?" Numair asked, staring at Alanna wonderingly.

"I think I've found the cave…" Everyone followed the line of her arm, and her pointing finger. The saw what she was pointing at, a dark and gloomy cave, the entrance only visible through cracks in the boulder covering it. Moss claimed the majority of the surrounding rock, turning it into a mass of green, making it blend in with the scenary of the forest.

"What makes you think that it's the cave?" Neal had already forgotten that this was in the exact location his picture memory had told them only moments before.

"O, the flashing neon sign stating 'Kel's in here, stupid!' was kind of a givaway."

(At the castle…)

Daine watched as Kai stumbled away, tripping over what seemed to be thin air . How curious. If Numair was here he'd probably ask her how she managed to fall over, well, nothing.

"O, that's got to hurt." She began to shut the door after watching Kai bring down yet another unfortunate page, who happened to be carrying a bowl of particularly hot soup, but decided to keep it ajar. Ah, soup day, it was what Daine looked forward to every fortnight. Leek, potato, tomato, they were all her favourite flavours.

"Daine, have you been listening to me?"

"Yes sir."

"Good- so you understand what Ive been talking about then?"

"Of course you don't look fat in that robe sir." She realised that probably wasn't what he wanted to hear, but she was too distracted watching Kai get trampled by a herd of squires. Herd asn't really the right word to use though, in these circumstances stampede would be a better fit.