Somewhere I can belong Chapter 11

Trying Paths

Ramblings from Rohan: Yay people are reviewing that makes me happy. Hopefully this chapter will not disappoint you, I've got a weird mix of songs on my itunes playing so that should help the creativity process simmer and produce something interesting.

Greyangle:

Thank you for reviewing so many times, I always look forward to your comments. As for the sculpture, wells lets say that your partially right. The statue of Crystal carries a bit of notoriety combing the best of two cultures and that is all I will say on the matter

Wordsmith:

Kev, all authors include parts of themselves into their stories, that allows us to not think as hard of ideas we just incorporate ideas from our own past. Cuts down on the time needed for updates.

Kar-Vermin

Grammar and sentence structure have never been strong points of mine. Thank you for your kind words

Disclaimer: Same as before and with that let the tale begin.

After some thinking I redid the ending to chapter 10 it was a little rushed and it didn't flow right. So the previous chapter has a new and improved ending to chapter 10.

Chapter 11

Trying Paths

Some time ago and many leagues to the south another elf was rapidly prostrating himself to his goddess in silent prayer awaiting his doom. He knew there would be no reprieve save for an intervention of several divine beings. Deliverance however did arrive though not in the form that Gamgee was expecting.

With a kick that forced the doors off of their hinges Gloin Ironbeard in all his dwarven glory entered the nearly deserted bar. If the bar had been full none would have dared to bar his path, his bearded face scanned the bar and seeing the confrontation looming he approached as only a dwarf wearing plate male could.

At first Gamgee thought that the sudden booming that was echoing through the deserted tavern was merely a figment of his own imagination till he saw Crystal turn and face the booming. It was no imagined noise as Gloin commander of the Gate of Moradin moved into view. Gamgee was fairly certain that Crystal would no longer separate his head from his shoulders, but from what he knew of Dwarven culture she could get away with breaking several of his fingers and pass it off as a friendly handshake. Gamgee's reverie was broken by Gloin's gruff common.

"Well where by Moradin's blessed hammer where are the rest of ya? If that beardless nephew of mine got the message wrong I'll pull his hairs out as they grow back one at a time." Grabbing the still mostly full wine bottle Gloin and drowning it in a matter of seconds and after "Where's the other three, there's suppose to be 5 of you." You, you, Thrack, that other one, and the barbarian trainee make 5. There two of you here where are the other three. We don't have time to sit around her and drink till they get here." Gloin choose another of Gamgee's wine bottles and between gulps of wine added, "There is a war going on and based on what I heard about your abilities in defending the wall I had a special task for you."

Meanwhile a few minutes ago Janet was trying to instruct Brangar on how to make a good impression on Commander Ironbeard. "Now when you enter the room drop your arms and stand at attention, military people like that. No not like that drop your arms to your sides and suck in your gut. Stand straight back."

"How do I know if my back is straight enough Janet?"

"Bend back till your spine hurts and then you know."

At that time Janet entered leading a still somewhat moaning mound of muscle. Why do they always have to break my nose, I like my nose, I like to smell things why do the hairy short people always keep hurting my sniffer Brangar who had one of this enormous paws of hands clutching his nose after his last encounter with a dwarf. Brangar's voice broke off as he saw Gloin glaring at him.

"Oh are you complaining trainee! Cause if you are I can always just rip your nose right off and then it won't hurt so much."

Brangar immediately did as Janet instructed and quickly stood to attention, with his arms at his sides and his gut sucked in and barked out, "Brangar reporting as ordered Commander Ironbeard."

Gloin nearly fell out of his chair in shock before screaming out, "What in the seven hells do you think you are doing trainee?"

"Standing at attention sir"

Gloin could bear it no longer as he leapt from his chair and stormed over to Brangar and again grabbed his nose twisting it violently all the while screaming out, "Barbarians do not stand at attention stand at attention you trainee, now by the abyss sit down and shut your trap. Or I'll rip this waste of flesh off of your trainee hide."

Brangar quickly brought both of his oversized hand to protectively cover his nose and seemed on the verge of tears. "I lie to smell things don't take my sniffer!"

Turning his attention to the rest of the group he began to point at the other group members, "Okay one trainee, one person without any weapons and armor, one elven god fighter, and one weakling wizard. Well that's four where is that blasted Thrack. He was supposed to be here. So help me if I have to leave this bar to go get him"

"I'm here Ironbeard."

"Glancing back to the door the dwarf's eyes caught sight of the half elf. Glancing at the freshly painted intricate symbols that covered his body Gloin nodded knowingly, "Glad to see that you're all dressed up."

"I hope its worthwhile Ironbeard, I have a little brother to take care of."

"I'll never understand you Thrack, he's a foot taller than you and outweighs you by 5 stone. " With a grin Gloin added, "That's not little."

"Well you know how Thrack, he acts like a little bear cub, never happy if he isn't swing his clever cleaver. I never should have gotten him that great axe. He just won't stay let it go."

"Did they pull that ballista bolt out of him all right?"

"Another day of bed rest and he should be good as new.

"That brother of yours is almost as tough as a dwarf."

Gamgee hesitantly broke up their conversation, "Charming as that is, why were we summoned here?" Thrack and Gloin both glared at him with fury in their eyes, that seemed to dim in Gloin's eyes, why Thrack's lost none of their fury.

"All right book boy, this is what you're going to be doing. I got a special mission for the five of you, a little search and destroy that need to be done. The walls are still holding and none of the finely crafted dwarven gates have been breached." All save Brangar realized the pride in his voice. "Those wretched spawns of millings aren't going to quit so easily though. They have some catapults that they are bringing into range."

"Why don't you just cast..." Gloin cut off Gamgee's interruption by smashing his gauntlet down onto the table shattering it and causing a bottle of wine to fall to the ground and shatter. A single tear fell from Janet's eyes as she beheld the horrible waste."

"We've tried that already book boy, there's an mound of dirt in front of it that's got more wards on it than a dragon's backside. Nothing magical can get past their barricades. That's what you five come in, my kin have a tunnel that will get you past the wall and close enough to blow up their catapults and whatever else they have back there."

"How are to get back inside, since the prudent move would be to collapse the tunnel after we exit and I don't like our chances on the outside." Answered Crystal after a moment of silence.

"By the beard of all my ancestors you think I'm sending you to your deaths, this is strictly volunteer. Besides we need you on the walls after you get back. I can't afford to send you on a suicide mission, well maybe the trainee and book boy but not the rest of you."

"Funny joke."

"Who said I was joking book boy. The supports are set with delayed charges, you pull the wire and run. That simple. You leave at dawn."

"I mean no offense Commander Ironbeard, but this plan seems rushed and we need more time to prepare for any…." Crystals remark was cut short by the sound of what could only be a boulder smashing inside the city."

Gloin spat a dwarven curse as he rushed to assess the damage, the five warriors followed closely behind, "You still want to plan while they drop a mountain on us. Meet me by Moradin's Gate at first light, you leave then. Get some rest you're no good to the mission if you're all dead tired." Gloin bellowed to them before rushing into the crowd.

Crystal was torn, her duty as a paladin demanded her to help these people right now, but she knew that she would be worthless in a fight if she were exhausted. "Everyone we meet here an hour before daylight, spend the night as you will, but get some sleep."

"What about you Crystal, you're no good out there."

"Gamgee I must do as my faith demands, and I cannot rest while I can help others." Suddenly the other four were recipients of Crystals death stare as her voice dropped several octaves, "You can't sway me on this so don't try." That said she stormed onto into the crowd. Slowly she was lost amid the chaos as people struggled to move away from more incoming projectiles. As she moved closer to the impact sites Crystal saw the damage being done by the barrage, and as she moved to aid she suddenly felt a sharp blow to her head and suddenly the world was spinning before fading to black.

"Fricken elves. Never doing the right thing at the right time." Thrack murmured as he threw her over his should as he walked back to the inn.

Several hors passed as Crystal began to awaken from her pummel induced trance, try as she cold she could no remember how she had gotten to this room, or for that matter why she was still wearing her armor. Her head still throbbed as she rose from the mattress. The room was very spartan with no additional comforts other than mattress and a small window. Glancing outside she could see the stars nor the moon, dawn was rapidly approaching and she had to move quickly to get to the inn, but her dizziness still persisted and she found moving to be far more difficult than she had thought it would be. That was when door opened, and she smelled him before seeing him. For a short moment she thought it was Brangar, but the figure didn't smell as bad, shaking her head ever so silently she realized that it was Thrack.

"Bout time you woke up elf. " Holding out a bottle to Crystal he continued, "Drink this, it'll help."

The smell of the potion alone made her cringe but time and time again, Crystal had learned that the worse a potion smelled the better it made you feel. Steeling herself she drained the potion and cringed as her body convulsed and slowly the aches and pains were replaced by a feeling of well being.

Before Crystal had the chance to offer thanks, Thrack cut her off, "Now if your little head is feeling better we have a place that we need to be, watch out of falling rocks." Grasping her helm and sword Crystal followed close behind trying to piece together the events that had lead her to this room, but upon seeing the devastation being rought upon the city she banished all such thoughts, and focused on the problem at hand, that of the bombardment and what would be needed to stop it.

Rambling from Rohan:

Well this isn't as long as the last chapter but hopefully it will meet your expectations. The next few chapters are all taken care of plot wise. I do believe that you will all be pleasantly surprised as to how events unfold.