Gwin and crew get to know these mysterious dwarves, and she undergoes something alarming that brings her and the twins closer together. A bit on the longer side, but I doubt you will complain. Enjoy!

Chapter 38

I sighed in relief as we entered the hall, feeling the warmth replace the chill of the icy wind, and I heard similar sounds from behind me. The red-haired dwarf stood before us and said, "Welcome to Zudrugund. My name is Frithgeir, and along with me there is one other who lives here, and his name is-"

Before he could finish his sentence, the other dwarf made his appearance. He had hair as white as the snow outside, and was extremely old. He was moving strangely, like he was unable to walk in a straight line, and was mumbling something. After a moment, I could hear what it was, and it made little sense. "The soup is cold! Hervin, the soup is cold! Set it atop the fire! Ah, yes, ah. Three and twenty!" he wheezed, his gaze looking off to my right, but when I turned, there was no one there.

Frithgeir sighed and said, "This is Nar."

The rest of us looked between one another, unsure of what to make of this. I took the initiative and said, "Well-met Frithgeir, Nar." Frithgeir bowed but Nar seemed not to hear me, and wandered away, mumbling about soup.

"Please, come further inside," Frithgeir continued, trying to dispel the awkward atmosphere. "I will find some food and wine for you, if you will give me a moment." As he hurried off, we made our way inside. I was in awe at the sheer size of the place. It had at least three floors, and the walls were full of books. It was seemingly a giant library, as well as housing. I couldn't imagine how many books there might be! I turned to the twins and said, "Erestor would love this." They laughed and nodded.

"I will go take a look around," Corunir offered, and I nodded in agreement. The others turned to me for guidance, and I realized that they must consider me the leader of our little group. To be fair, it was my idea to go on this 'adventure', for good or ill. "Let us find places to set our belongings and then sit at those tables across the hall," I said.

After settling ourselves down in the wooden chairs, we ate and drank what Frithgeir offered. It was a nice change from the lembas and miruvor we had been consuming. Corunir sat next to me and murmured, "Frithgeir seems to take care of Nar, and his devotion seems to be very strong, but I have not been able to learn much about either of them."

I nodded, putting my chin in my hand and thinking. What were they doing here? Were they the only two living here, in such a large place? I glanced over and noticed Nar had picked up a book and was reading it upside down, speaking to an imaginary person over on his left.

Frithgeir noticed my curious glance and said sheepishly, "I...I should apologize for Nar. He is very old; I know not how old…and his mind...wanders. He has experienced a great deal of hardship and pain, but he has remained here while all others have left him. All save me, that is." He looked sad, and I wondered at their history. "Now, what brings you all the way up here? Clearly you have some purpose."

"You would be right," I replied. "Are you familiar with a Dunlending named Wadu?"

Frithgeir nodded slowly, "Yes. He came to speak with Nar some time ago. Nar was more aware that night than he usually is, so I marked the visit. The two ventured into the mine beneath these halls. I'm sorry, but I do not remember anything else peculiar about it." At this, Elrohir looked my way with a furrowed brow, and I wondered if he was thinking the same as I. Frithgeir seemed to be hiding something.

"Do you know how long they were down there?" Elrohir asked.

Frithgeir shook his head, but did not meet our eyes, "I was quite busy reading up on some herb lore and did not mark the passage of time." He stood up, and took our now empty plates. "Please, make yourselves comfortable. There are many rooms in which you can leave your things, and they include beds should you wish to rest."

After he had moved some distance away, we all put our heads closer together. "What do you suppose he is not telling us?" Calenglad asked.

"I am unsure, but I inferred that he either suspected or knew more about the journey to the mine than what he claimed," Elrohir and Elladan replied simultaneously, and grinned at one another. I rolled my eyes; they liked to play this trick where they discussed with each other telepathically what they wanted to say, and then spoke the words at the same time. The others looked mildly alarmed, and I fought the urge to laugh at their expressions.

"Thank you both very much for your opinions," I said sarcastically, smirking at them.

I noticed Corunir had found a book on another table, and he set it down in front of us. "This book happens to contain herb lore, and perhaps it is the same one Frithgeir mentioned he was reading." I peered at it closely, noting there was a recipe of sorts for a potion. "However, these ingredients are unfamiliar to me. What about the rest of you?"

After taking a moment to read, I shook my head in frustration. "The words are in Khuzdul, which none but the dwarves know how to speak. We would need to ask Frithgeir to translate for us or explain what they are." I wondered if he meant for us to find this book; he had left it out for anyone to find, and open to this page in particular.

"There is a brew I can make of several ingredients found throughout Thrór's Coomb. The vapors of the brew seem to make Nar more aware of his surroundings. If you bring me these ingredients, the brew may allow you to speak with Nar directly," said Frithgeir, from over my shoulder. I started, clearly so engrossed in the book that I wasn't paying attention.

"Speak with Nar directly?" Corunir asked, with some confusion. "What do you mean?"

Frithgeir sighed, "As you can see, Nar does not speak in a way that makes sense. He seems stuck in the past; talking to people who are no longer there or even alive, and reliving events that happened decades ago. Sometimes the words are jumbled and do not make sentences." He took the book and pointed to the ingredients list. "I have made this potion before, and when he drinks it, he seems more aware of his surroundings for a short time, speaking logically. You may be able to get more information about his time with Wadu by having him consume it. However, I need these ingredients to make it, and I ran out weeks ago."

"These words are in Khuzdul, and we do not know what they mean," I replied. "Are there names in Westron that correlate?"

Frithgeir furrowed his brow. "I am unsure; they have been called these names for centuries."

"Could you describe them?" I asked, feeling pessimistic.

"I can certainly try," he mumbled, wandering away to gather parchment and a quill. Dipping it into some ink, he began to draw them and wrote down where he had collected them in the past.

Elrohir smiled, "These are very good Master Dwarf!" Frithgeir puffed out his chest a little, looking pleased. He replied, "Thank you, sir. I hope you will find them useful."

After several minutes of examining the parchment, Corunir said doubtfully, "I'm not sure if this brew will truly work."

"Why do you say that?" I asked curiously.

Corunir gestured to Nar, who was singing some tune that was off-key, the words out of order, and waving his arms around. "How can a simple potion make him go from that to…well…normal?"

I shrugged, "Perhaps it cannot, but it's worth a try if it might get us the information we need."

As it was very late, we decided to sleep overnight and go out looking in the morning. "Perhaps the blizzard will have lessened," I said hopefully.

I picked a room on the second floor, which was full of mysterious yellow crystals. I could not discern how they were lit, but it bathed the room in a warm, comforting glow. It had a bed but the blankets were very dusty, so I replaced them with my own.

The mattress sagged as I laid down, but it was still decently comfortable. I kicked my boots off lazily and it made me smile, thinking about how Candaith had done the same thing back in Bree. It had slightly annoyed me at the time, but now it only brought me amusement. I could not have imagined how close we would become over the next months.

My smile faded as I realized how much I missed him, despite it only being a short time. He me feel like the luckiest Elleth in Arda. I found myself staring at the ceiling, thinking about how much we had gone through together, and how we had come out the other side as a couple.

I was frustrated with myself for not telling him how I felt; I was supposed to be brave, and yet I couldn't find the courage to tell him I loved him. I knew it was because saying something like that was risky; what if he did not feel the same? I knew he cared about me as a person, a friend at the very least, and that he was very attracted to me. Was it more than that? I believed that perhaps he loved me also, but could it just be me trying to convince myself because that was what I desired from him? I desperately wanted him to feel the same as I, but I could not force him.

It was with these dismal thoughts that I let myself relax and tried to enter reverie.

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I awoke with a start and noted I was clutching the pillow to my chest, and breathing fast. My heart was racing, and I felt panicked. I swept my gaze around the room, looking for threats, but all I could see were the strange crystals and the stone walls around me. They felt like they were closing in, and I curled into a ball in fear. Some logical part of me was wondering what was happening and why was I acting in such a childish manner.

I had no memory of what I had been dreaming of, but thought perhaps it was what had woken me and instilled lingering feelings of fear.

However, I was to be proven wrong.

Suddenly, it seemed like the room was filled with dark shapes, writhing around and moving towards me. I scrabbled backed against the headboard and into the wall, but there was nowhere else to go. Deciding I had to get out of there, I rolled off the bed and accidentally crashed into the bedside table, the wood breaking from the impact. As I hit the floor, I groaned.

The darkness was close now. "N-no…a-auta (go away)!" I shouted fearfully, using Sindarin to try and help, but it was no use. I could hear whispering now, seemingly coming from the swirling darkness, but could not understand it; the words grated in my ears. I reached for the door handle to try and pull it open, but as my hand touched the handle, I gasped. It was blazing hot, and it felt like my hand was on fire. I wondered to myself if this was a dream or reality.

My eyes widened as the darkness formed into the shape of the Uruk, "Oh Eru, not again," I choked. "This is not real; this is not real!" I tried to convince myself, but it was difficult when the Uruk was stalking towards me, his yellow eyes reflecting the color of the crystals. They were full of malice and a terrible grin was on his face. "Now we can't have that can we?" he growled as I tried once more to escape. He stepped in front of the door and I crawled under the bed, trying to hide. "Please, just go away! You…you are…not real…" I said weakly, but was starting to wonder if I was mistaken. "Candaith, where are you? Please…help me…" However, I knew he would not be coming. He was at the bottom of the mountain and too far away.

The Uruk was reaching under the bed and I moved as far away from his arm as I could, making myself as small as possible. His arm was so close now, and his claws looked sharp. I started screaming in fear. "Stop screaming, or I will cut out that tongue," he shouted cruelly, and I snapped my mouth shut. I didn't know what to do. If he reached me, I would not be able to overcome his strength. I would have to suffer his tortures once more, and I knew I may not survive it a second time. My mind felt muddled, and I felt like I couldn't breathe.

The door burst open, but I could not see who it was, as I was still under the bed. The Uruk stopped trying to reach me and stood up. He roared and I screamed again, trembling and crying like an elfling. My eyes were shut tightly. Little by little, I felt the tendrils of the suffocating darkness start to fade, and I noticed I could not hear the Uruk anymore. I opened my eyes and looked fearfully as someone's arm came under the bed. Not knowing who it was, I whispered, "Please stay away." My voice was shaking and hoarse.

The voice that responded was musical and full of warmth, nothing like the grating tones of the Uruk. "Gwin, it is Elrohir." He was speaking softly, likely aware that I was afraid.

"Prove it," I whimpered, still doubting he was real.

After a few moments, the voice that sounded like Elrohir replied, "When we were about 1200 years old, we went on that fishing trip down the Bruinen. We had a competition to see who would catch the largest one, remember?" My brow was furrowed, and I distantly recalled our small boat floating in the calm waters. "You caught one on your hook, but it was so large that it almost pulled you out of the boat. Luckily Elladan and I were there to help save you." His voice lowered a little, and I could hear some emotion in its tone, "Like I am here to help save you now, mellon nin." He had retracted his arm, but again reached under the bed. "Take my hand."

The story was familiar to me and I could recall how large the fish was. "The three of us pulled it in and we had fish stew for days," I whispered. "I was so happy to be with my friends."

"You are with friends now Gwin," another voice murmured, and I thought it was Elladan.

I had to ask anyway, "Elladan, is that you?"

"Yes, penneth, it is me," he replied softly. I started weeping again, but not in fear. Relief was what I was feeling, and it was enough to convince me to grasp Elrohir's hand.

He helped me crawl out from under the bed, and I shakily made my way over to it, sitting down heavily. Elrohir and Elladan sat on either side of me, and I took both of their hands tightly in mine, remaining quiet because I was unsure what to say. Elladan started quietly singing something, and it helped calm me. I laid my head on Elrohir's shoulder, and he kissed the top of my head; it reminded me of how my mother used to comfort me when I would return from a difficult patrol. Not that she was around much after I joined the guard. She and my sister left for Valinor once I was settled in the capital of Felegoth, leaving me to fend for myself and find others to support me.

After a while, I whispered, "How did you know I needed help?"

"We both felt something dark in the air, and when we opened our door to investigate, we heard your sounds of distress," Elrohir replied. Elladan was still singing, and I took some slow breaths, letting it calm my racing heart.

I gathered my courage and continued, "When you arrived, what did you see?"

Elrohir took a moment to reply, "The room was dark, darker than it should have been with the light of the crystals, and the air felt heavy with something strange. I could not see you right away, but when I heard you scream, I realized you were underneath the bed. I decided to use my healing skills to push some of the darkness away, and eventually it faded completely."

"You…didn't see anyone else?" I asked quietly. I could tell the twins were looking at each other over my head, and Elrohir answered, "No Gwin, it was just you and I at the time, at least in the visible sense."

I almost felt relieved at this, but then the shame returned. I was weak, and foolish for believing for even a moment that the dead Uruk could somehow be in my room.

Elrohir squeezed my hand, and moved away slightly so as to look at me. "Will you tell us what happened?"

I shut my eyes tightly, afraid to speak of it. I focused my attention on Elladan's musical voice, and it helped me refocus. Opening my eyes again and staring into Elrohir's grey ones, I tried to figure out what to say. They didn't know about my assault in the Lone Lands, so explaining what I had just experienced would require bringing it up. I decided I needed to be honest with them; they were two of my closest friends, and they only wanted to help.

"I have been struggling with something which happened to me several months ago, and I think it is causing me to have strange dreams, both asleep and when awake. A small part of me knows or at least thinks what I am seeing is not possible, and yet it seems real," I began. Elrohir was looking into my eyes with compassion, and it gave me the strength to continue. "When I was traveling with Candaith and Saeradan in the Lone Lands, on our way to Imladris, I was captured by orcs." His expression changed slightly, and I noticed he seemed to be worried what I would say. "Elrohir, if you do not wish to hear of it-"

"-No penneth, it is all right. We want to help you and will always listen, no matter what," he replied, squeezing my hand.

I took another breath, "There was an Uruk-hai there, and he seemed to be the leader of the small group." I paused, again needing to take another, shaky breath. This would be challenging. "He interrogated me in order to discern who I was traveling with and who I was 'working for', but I would not answer him." My voice was quiet but a little fear was creeping in. "I called him an orc and he became very angry with me. Perhaps not my best choice of words." I felt some despair but continued on, needing to get through this, "He tied me to a tree and…and…" My words were failing me. Elladan's voice faltered, but he resumed singing after a moment. I shut my eyes tightly. "He did things to me," I whispered, "Terrible things."

Elrohir hugged me to him, and I rested my head on his chest. "I should not have been so careless; I should not have made him angry." There were no tears left it seemed, and I was feeling a strange emptiness.

"It was not your fault," Elrohir said, his voice rough with emotion. "It was those vile creatures who are responsible. Never blame yourself for this." I knew this must be hard for the both of them, having gone through this with their mother. I hated to bring them more grief, and I could feel him trembling slightly.

"I guess I am still struggling," I mumbled against Elrohir's shirt. "The dark shadows had gathered and formed into the shape of the Uruk, and it seemed so real. I thought that he…" I took a shaky breath, "That he was going to get to me again and h-hurt me, and I knew I would not be able to escape him this time." I felt the lingering fear try to return, but Elrohir was holding me close and I tried to focus on breathing along with him, as he was murmuring, "In…and out…in…and out…", and it helped. I continued after I felt calmer, "I know it is impossible for him to actually be here, as he is dead. This is the fourth time now that I have had terrible dreams that seem real, and twice it happened when I was awake. It is like a living nightmare."

Elrohir was silent for a few minutes, clearly in thought. Eventually he said, "There was a physical dark presence around you. I wonder if the enemy is causing you to have these visions, and is attempting to subdue you to prevent you from fighting against him. You have been to many dark places, as I understand it, and perhaps it has made some impression upon you that Sauron is using to hurt you." I considered this, and shuddered as I remembered the horrors of the Foundations of Stone in Moria, and the choking darkness of Dol Guldur. I looked up at him and he gave me a small smile. "You have done much to hinder his plans; clearly you are a thorn in his side mellon nin." I tried to return it, but could not manage it.

"I wish he would stop," I whispered. "I…I feel like something is broken inside of me. I am afraid this will only worsen, and I will fall into a nightmare at the worst possible moment. It could injure or kill those I love." I paused, afraid of what I was about to say. "Perhaps I should go off alone, in order to keep you safe. I could not bear it if one of you paid the price." I was used to being by myself on the road, but in this moment, the thought of it terrified me.

"No Gwin, that is the last thing we want for you to do. Stay with us, and let us help you." He hugged me tighter. "Let us drive away the shadows."

The twins reminded me so much of my brothers that it physically hurt. I missed them more than ever. Yet, they also brought me comfort. It was like my brothers were there with me, as Elladan and Elrohir had seamlessly stepped in to fill that role. They would never replace the ones I lost, but I needed them in my life.

I nodded against his chest, and noticed how tired I felt. I wanted to try and go back to sleep, but was afraid. I looked at the brothers and asked meekly, "Stay with me?"

They both smiled at me warmly, "Of course penneth." I got under the blankets and they lay on either side of me. It felt a bit crowded at first, but I eventually relaxed and snuggled up to both of them. Elladan had resumed singing, and it was a lullaby this time. My eyes grew heavy, and I let myself rest, feeling safe and loved.

I promise this dream experience is important for the plot in the future, so keep it in mind as we go along. Thanks for reading, and leave a review if you have a moment! Expect the next chapter on Thursday, and hopefully the website continues to keep working!