(A/N: For the reader who requested scene location hints: see the footnotes first.)

Chapter 28

Gunnar was the grandson of Dis, daughter of Thrain, known for her skill at stone-spelling. He was also the second son of Fili, King of Erebor, who was known for his skills in battle and at the forge, but few knew that Fili could also channel the strength of Erebor through its native stone. It was how the Dwarves had held the Mountain against the forces of Mordor all those years ago during the War of the Ring.

Gunnar had been a child during that final siege, sequestered deep within the lower levels of Erebor with his siblings and his Lady Mother. In the last battle, Aragorn distracted Sauron so Frodo could complete his quest. At the same time, the Sons of Durin and the Men of Dale defended against an onslaught of Easterlings on their own lands, and the Mountain's core had trembled with anger until it unsettled stone even in the lowest caverns.

Young Gunnar had felt the mountain. His brother Fjalar had gasped as pebbles had tumbled around them. "It won't hurt us," Gunnar had told him "It's protecting us." And when he'd reached out to put his hands on the stone floor, he'd felt its anger:. Fury! Defend! He'd nearly been knocked over by it.

And that was the same moment when far to the south and east of Erebor, the Fellowship's quest had been completed…as Frodo and Sam destroyed the Ring, Sauron's stonework began to crumble, but young Gunnar had felt the Mountain's strength…surge. He had no other word for it. And then he was caught by the Mountain's mood…as if cool water flowed over him and birds sang in the distance.

One of his mother's body guards, old Mika, had shouted in alarm and lifted him from the ground, holding him tight to break his child-like instinct to commune with the stone.

Weeks later his father, healing from a set of broken ribs, had smiled to hear it. "Odds are good you have Grandmama's stone sense, Gunz."

Now, after several years in his uncle's realm of Ered Luin training at the ancient site of Nogrod, he'd learned much about how to truly commune with stone. Returning to the wider world of Dwarves, Hobbits, Elves, and Men still felt strange. But his Stonemaster's words rang clear in his mind: a true stonespeller doesn't sit here enthralled with the rocks. He takes his talent into the world and uses it to fight the dark forces that still linger here in Middle Earth. Only then will you gain the rank of Master.

So this evening he stood before the Sons of Elrond and a Dunedain Captain who waited for him to use his stonespelling gift to assess danger in the ruins of Annuminas. Aragorn himself would be here for a Royal Visit at Midsummer…just one full moon from now.

So, no pressure.

Taking a full breath, he sat on the stone floor of the commander's tent and held the little Lodestone. He was ready…it was simple. All he had to do is listen close for the sound of cool water on stone, the way Erebor sounded at that pivotal moment of freedom and peace…

Water…there was water here…it lapped on the shoreline of the lake…rapidly, then slowly. Something seemed to tug on his left hand, as if gently insisting he look in that direction. He turned his head. True north. Of course. That was what a lodestone did.

Yet there was something else. Some kind of dissonant vibration—like clicks or…footsteps. Footsteps?

One, two, three…one, two. One, two, three…one, two…

Who?

He used the sense of water to explore the source of the vibrations, Where? He focused his stone-sense away from the cool lakeshore water to seek the little disturbance like he would track a stag.

South. Jumbled stone. Underground. Five-sided room with….

A flash…and a sudden sound like a cat hiss. The image of something blue and bright like a single focused flame flooded his mind and Gunnar took a mental step back. No, not one blue flame…three. No, five…no, many flames, multiplying… His stone-sense vanished.

He opened his eyes back in the tent to see the Halden and the Sons of Elrond crouched before him, curious.

"Something with a vibration and a fire locus…south of the lake under a pile of ruins.

Elladan snorted.

Gunnar shook his head, clearing his thoughts. Yes, he'd just described Annuminas as far as the eye could see. That was not useful.

He reached out to tap the stone floor, using his sigil ring to tap one, two, three…one, two. One, two, three…one, two…

"Someone's footsteps…?" he speculated.

The Sons of Elrond looked at each other. Elrohir frowned. "Heartbeat."

"What kind?" Halden demanded.

"Goblin-kind," Elladan said.

Gunnar felt cold. Goblin in the ruins…. "With a fire-locus."


Merry Brandybuck had much to do. The biggest Shire event ever was about to land on the border of Buckland and there were a thousand details to attend before Hobbits from all over the Shire came across the Brandywine Bridge "to see that King we keep hearing about." Hobbit tongues were wagging about it from Tookland to Longbottom to Bree.

But the only one Hobbit genuinely interested Merry at the moment walked beside him on the path from the Little Hill Woods back to Bag End, and she wore a green flowered dress with a pale yellow apron and a crown of spray roses and lavender.

"I can carry that for you," he offered, looking at her large basket of wild berries along with Dill and Sage.

The offer earned him a flash of her large smile and a kind look from her large doe-eyes. "Oh Master Meriadoc, no need at all."

"No need," he agreed, reaching for the basket handle, "except mine." With that he leaned close enough to kiss her cheek and firmly acquire the basket. "Look!" he said, instantly distracting her from objecting by pointing out a nearby creekbank. "I bet there's watercress," he said, taking an eager step forward and grabbing her hand.

Within minutes the basket sat abandoned in the shade with a token handful of fresh watercress on the side. Merry had taken his chance to show the winsome young Essie Bolger exactly how mesmerizing the birch leaves looked when you lay on your back and looked up at them.

"Master Meriadoc," Essie said as he lay close beside her, holding her hand.

"Merry," he said, gently squeezing her hand. "Just call me Merry." He turned to look at her staring up and the birches, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"Merry," she breathed. "The leaves are beautiful seen this way…"

When she turned to look at him , all he could see were those big eyes and berry tinged lips

There was nothing else for it, he told himself later. Kissing her long and deep had just been the most natural thing to do…


In late afternoon, the sun sank behind Khelethur's tall mountains long before actual sunset, even though the sky remained blue for a good while longer. But the shadows of the great monolithic stone surrounding the great valley cooled the summer heat and made a good time for dwarf lads to be outside practicing with first weapons.

"Vok!"

Young Kirin stopped mid-aim with his new bow and dropped to the ground, head down, and lay perfectly still.

He didn't even move when footsteps approached through the tall grass and stopped next to him.

"Very good, lad," Skirfir said, crouching beside him. "You remembered!"

Kirin, taking his lessons to heart, remained still and didn't reply. You must listen to Skirf and obey every command, every time when we travel, his father had told him. If there's a fight, you must stay down so you don't get in the way of the fighting force. You can not distract them from battle. Your job is to play dead–like a possum. His father had been so serious that Kirin could not even imagine how angry he would be if this rule was disobeyed. Kirin knew he would get That Look…the one where his Da's eyebrows lowered and his eyes went hard and he said nothing.

No way, no chance that he wanted to see Da's scary face.

Skirfir (who was nearly but not quite as scary when angry) waited beside him in silence. Kirin heard dwarves running in the meadow and listened carefully, trying to count how many others were here, just as his Da had taught him. Three, I think. One of them close… Then he heard Skirfir stand and walk away, shouting search commands.

Yet Kirin remained still. Those commands were not for him. I am a possum.

After what seemed like forever, he finally heard Skirfir give the "all clear" command.

"Thar Lask!"

Kirin lifted his head to see someone's shadow on the ground beside him. He looked up.

"Da!" he scrambled to his feet as his father knelt to wrap his arms around him.

"Good job, Kirin," he said in a low voice. "Good lad. You make a perfect possum!" A hand ruffled his hair, then smoothed it back. Kirin looked up to see his father smiling. "We'll practice again tomorrow with Sorin next to you. He has to learn this also if we're going to make it all the way to the Lake safely. And," he said more seriously, "You will have to help us look after your nadadith."

"When do we leave?" Kirin asked. "I'm ready now…!"

His father's smile changed to that fun-loving grin. "Well, not before dinner…which is as soon as we get back to the Lodge." He glanced upward at a raven flying past and then became more serious. "And we'll be leaving in about a week, lad. But there's lots to do before then…"

"I can help," Kirin offered.

"I'm glad. We'll need your help. Right now, gather up your bow and arrows and report back to Skirf quick as you can," he winked. "Make sure you don't leave anything behind that would help a goblin track you…"

"Yes, Da!" Kirin grabbed his bow and two arrows that had fallen, got them back into his quiver and started to run toward Skirf, then turned back to scan the area where he'd lain, assuring himself he'd left nothing behind, and then he hugged his Da. Tight. Love you Da…

He heard him laugh, felt a hand on his shoulder, and then Kirin let go and spun around to run toward Skirfer as fast as he could.

.

.

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A/N. Thank you for reading! Drop a note...hope your summer has been good and not too sweltering...or that your winter (for those of you in the South Hemisphere) isn't too cold. Cheers and Hand on Heart to all of you. -Summer

Footnotes:

Vok! = Melt! (drop to the ground)

Thar Lask! = All Clear!

Translations by "Common to Dwarvish Translator" online.

Locations: Scene 1: Evening at the Dunedain camp in the ruins of Annuminas (just north of the Shire.) Scene 2: near Bag End, in the Shire. Scene 3: In a meadow deep in the Khelethur Valley, Ered Luin; west of the Shire.

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