Chapter 7: The Need of A Forge.
The river ran though the rolling hills as it flowed down form the springs form the mountains down towards the the sea, meeting over rivers along the way as a way join to forge one. But before meeting with thelanduinstream, is passed though a small water wheel, pushing it with the flow of the river.
Hammering away at the wood was a Dwarf who fouled up as he tried to finish up with the wheel's attachment's to make the cogs turn. Brining down the hammer on the nail he cursed as he struck his hand.
"AAHHH! Confounded all, why can't we just use metal." he asked, looking back form his work bench.
The Elf came over and put her arms around him as she gifted him a kiss.
"Metal would be to strong for the water to move."
"Eye." agreed the Dwarf. "But ounce I have set up the connection to the wheel, I shall have a great forge."
"And we can finally prove to our parents that they where wrong, about us."
Going back to his hammering he screamed in pain, as he missed ounce again.
"Here let me." she said taking his hands in her own.
Moving as one they where able to hammer in the nails, and move forward in their plans, as their small cottage was coming together around them.
Standing stronger know it was larger then before and expanded to a barn and a few fields scattered around the river area, as is spanned the horizon. As the group stood just behind a small hill.
"So where is the city meant to be, I can't see any thing?" Squabbled Elizabeth as she kept trying to look at the map.
"Look, if you let me try and figure out where we are, can I try and see if I can't find it." argued Vincent who yanked the map away.
Elizabeth stepped back and folded her arms as she watched Vincent as he flicked his head between the map and the horizon. Theodore watched as he sat with Snarlg on the floor as he rested up.
"Any problems?" she asked smugly.
"The city's not here, but it was marked on the map."
"But it's not there, like I said."
"The map is old." reasoned Vincent "Maybe it's long since gone."
"So what know?" asked Theodore getting up.
"We carry on, down the river." said Elizabeth.
"Another settlement should be down here, or at least a road, the map shows a road coming up form down here." pointed out Vincent.
"Then lets go." she said setting off calling to Snarlg.
The Gnarg got up and carried on after her as Vincent and Theodore followed, moving forward over the the hill they soon stopped seeing the Mill, farm house, farm's and all that encompassed it.
"Well that's new." said Vincent seeing the settlement.
"I guess we can get some help with finding us a forge to melt this down." she smiled.
"Why can't we just use it as is?" asked Theodore.
"We are going to need some sort of tool or weapon to sprout fire, what ever it may be we need forge to create one, a sword and amour is no good to us with a fire aspect."
Nodding in agreement Theodore led the charge as they came down towards the settlement.
The farm house was setting up the lights in each of the windows, as the four made their approach. The mill sat close to the farm house with pens and stables close by with a few small filed's behind them. As they come over they slowed down and looked around, Elizabeth was drawn to the mill, as the others looked around the farm house. Stepping in she noticed the anvil and the forge fire pit, set up to ab linked to a the cogs in the wall.
"It's turned of at the moment." came a voice.
Spinning around Elizabeth spotted a female Elf looking in.
"My husband was, used to run our forge. But after he passed."
"I'm sorry, we can move on." said Elisabeth.
"Don't be so hasty, it's going to be dark soon."
"We need to make sure what we found is silver."
"Silver?"
"What you would call Minthril."
"Oh, I can't help you there."
"Then we must be going."
"But my two eldest sons can, they went to Tharbad and should be back by tomorrow."
"We can't impose on you."
"Not at all."
"Fine, we'll camp out here then."
"Not at all you can and you can stay in one of the boys rooms."
"What about the others."
"Others." she said spinning around to see the others had grouped up behind her.
"Oh, I didn't know."
"We should be fine out side."
"Nonsense, come in and we'll fix you up and give you a good meal."
"Thank you." bowed Vincent.
The all moved towards the farmhouse.
"So what is it you need to be checked." The Elf asked.
"It's a long story." recalled Elizabeth.
In the farm house the kitchen table was a long, two young small children where settling places when their mother, the Elf stepped in.
"Set another four places for our friends." she said.
"We only need three." said Elizabeth looking to Snarlg.
Moving to the kitchen the Elf left as the two children laid out more plates and cutlery, looking around the others seemed unsure where to sit, as they moved around the room.
The sound of foot steps called their attention away as another child older then the two others and sat down at the table.
"I guess we can take the spare seats." said Vincent.
Moving around the table they rook up the seats at the far end that had not yet been set, taking their seats with Snarlg sitting at on the floor. Soon the two youngest children came out with more plates and cutlery and laid out the remaining places before sitting down at the other end of the table. Looking around they felt the awkwardness fall over them as no one spoke up.
"You look funny." said the one of the youngest, a girl.
"So do you." teased Theodore.
"Why do you look like that?" asked her brother.
"That's just how we are." said Vincent.
"Stop bothering our guest." said the Elf coming out with large servings of food on plates. She laid them on the table "I'll be back with the rest."
"This is more food then we've ever had." Gasped Elizabeth.
"Here we are." the Elf said coming out with even more food.
Laid out was the equivalent of a banquet.
"Now before we feast lest all us all hold hands."
The eldest child sighed as they all linked hands, unsure the others staid out of it, but as the family linked hands they burst in to song. Starting with the mother, then the youngest son joining in, then the eldest son and youngest daughter.
Till the crop's' and harvest the land.
We will work until the sun goes down.
This will make one us feel oh so grand.
And to the rest we take to the town.
So pick up your tools and get ready the seed
When all the chorus are done we can feed.
Till the crop's' and harvest the land.
We will work until the sun goes down.
This will make one us fell oh so grand.
And to the rest we take to the town.
So pick up your tools and get ready the seed
When all the chorus are done we can feed.
Till the crop's' and harvest the land.
We will work until the sun goes down.
This will make one us fell oh so grand.
And to the rest we take to the town.
As know after this day is soon to be gone.
We will wait until the next day is to come.
With the jaunty song over they all dove hands in grab as much food to fill their plate, before they stopped and used their utensils to eat it. Taken aback they others soon took after their hosts and took some food, and unhinged their jaws to sallow it in one.
"How ever did you do that?" asked the Elf.
Theodore who had finished first spoke up "It's part of out skill set as Dragon Kinn."
The Elf and family stopped.
"Did I say something wrong?" he asked.
"We've only heard stories." said the Elf..
"We can assure you we only need to test out metal and we'll be gone." said Elizabeth.
"Yes, but what brings you back to Middle Earth, your kind has not be spotted oh since the second age."
They all looked at each other unsure on what to say.
"It's a long story." said Elizabeth at last.
"Do tell us?" asked the youngest kids getting excited.
"You don't want to hear about, us fighting Dragons, being rushed though streams chased by Elves and hunted by Orcs." said Vincent.
The kids seemed more interested.
"As Elves your selves, we don't want to seem rude." Apologised Vincent.
"They are not Elves." she corrected "And I gave up that title, when my family refused to accept my husband."
"So if your not Elves, what are you?" asked Elizabeth.
"We are Half-kin." said the Eldest speaking up "The children of Dwarf and Elf."
"Yes." added his mother. "They are all blessed with my fair skin and long life, and the stunted growth of their father."
"Where is he?" asked Vincent.
The Elf looked away.
"He passed." said the Eldest again. "He did so when I was only thirty."
"Lets move on." said the Elf "Do tell us how you came to be here."
And so as they filled up on hearty meal they regaled the tale so far.
After dinner they where taken up stairs to the rooms, stopping at the sight of two doors along the hall.
"These belong to my eldest sons, you can stay in these." she said. "But I only have two beds."
"We can share." said Elizabeth,
"Oh that's good." smiled the Elf "I'll be down stairs if you need me."
"We can?" asked Vincent.
"Yeah, me and Snarlg, and you and Theodore."
Rolling his eye Vincent went in to the room with Theodore, as Elisabeth and Snarlg did the same. Splitting up the pairs both went in to each room for the night, finding a bed to rest on Elizabeth just lay on it as Snarlg cured up on the floor, and as for Vincent and Theodore both shared the bed, as they lied side by side.
Waking up the next day they found them selves being pulled out of bed and on to the floor. Both the youngest children where forcing them out of the beds, Elizabeth was pulled on to the floor as the bed sheets where pulled off. Wile Vincent and Theodore woke to loud yelling and being pocked.
Both came out of their doors, gear in hand ready to leave and very tired.
"What is going on?" asked Elizabeth.
"Come on follow us." called the kids.
"Might as well, we do need to get going as soon as we can." said Vincent.
Following the kids they made their way down stairs to be greeted by the Elf and her oldest son.
"Okay everyone get in your breakfast wile you can, we have a full day ahead of us." she smiled.
"I'm going back to bed." sighed Elizabeth turning around.
"That means you as well."
Stopping Elizabeth shot around. "What do you mean?"
"We put you up for the night and fed you."
"And you expect us work for your hospitality." argued Elizabeth.
"No, I only ask that in return that you help us until my Eldest arrive and you can talk to them and be on your way." and then she left.
Elizabeth swung back around and hung her head.
"Come on, I'm sure there is something we can do around here." said Vincent.
"What else are we going to do." added Theodore. "We need their help."
Out side the three where working near the pens, Vincent made use of his magic, as he used his staff to lift up and rain down the hay to feed the animals. Close by Theodore was milking cows, wile Elizabeth and Snarlg waked past carrying crate's filled with crops towards the barn.
The sun had finally made it's gaze know on to Middle-Earth as it soon became the mooring to most others in the land.
"This is not what I thought this would be what we where doing when we left." said Elisabeth taking a brake as put down the creates.
Snarlg carried on past her able to hold is own.
"Well, did you see us do anything we've done so far." said Vincent.
"No."
"Well, neither did I."
"And to think none of this would of happened, if you didn't get us lost."
"I'm sorry, but I think it's been better."
"How so."
"We got what we came for."
"That will have to wait."
"And we've gotten a great deal of travailing done."
Shaking her head Elizabeth picked up the creates and carried on working.
"Vincent." said Theodore "The sun came up a short wile ago, why don't we check the amour for it's gleam like you said."
"If what the Elf said is true, her sons will be better at that for sure."
"Nodding Theodore went back to his milking."
In the barn Elisabeth was throwing her hay crates in to the pile, when she heard the youngest kids run past calling out. Spinning around she could hear voices and poked out to see what was going on, and looking out she saw two tall young lads had arrived pulling a cart between them. Watching for a second, she took note of how they interacted with each other.
"There quite something aren't they." said the Elf coming over.
"Yes." nodded Elizabeth.
"I'll take you over and you can tell them about what you found in the mine."
Nodding in agreement they made their way over.
As they arrived their shooed away the youngest two.
"Jake, John we have some quests with us." she said.
Elisabeth gave a nod.
"Well what brings you to the farm?" asked Jake.
"Silver." said Elizabeth "We need to see if what we found in the mines, is what you call Minthril."
"Mum should we?" asked John.
"Yes, I think they left it down stairs.." she said. "John can you go fetch it there where a few pieces."
"Of course." he said racing off.
"Jake show her to the forge."
Nodding he left the cart and walked of the forge and Elf went back to work as well.
"Come on." he called.
Making haste she joined him as they went to the forge in the mill.
"So why do you need the Minthril, won't steel or Iron do."
"No, due to the magic proprieties, it posses, we are able to use magic to bond it with an attribute."
"Like what?" asked Jake.
In flash she wiped out the frost bow and shot an icicle in to the wall of the mill, Jake marvelled at bow in her hands, she snapped it away defensively.
"Well so what do you need made out of it, if it is Minthril."
"Something to give of a lot of heat."
"Maybe you could use a bow, like your ice one."
"Lest us see it it's silver first."