Chapter 2
1.
"What's all this then? Who are you? And you! An Elf?!? Begone with you... you pointy eared demon!" Meltrild shouted as she was waving her stick at the elf.
"This is my town, my father and my fathers father kept these mountain paths free, not any elf!", the old dwarf maid shrieked still holding her stick up high for the elf and the others to see.
Nyr shook his head in disbelief, sinking his head in his hand in the process. "Oh, will you be quit you ol hag! And scoop that gruel you call food in the bowls!, ordering Meltrild who seemed to ignore him. "Your town... this hasn't been a town in ages, just a couple of foolish dwarves that should have left decades ago!", Nyr continued.
"So, what's all the commotion out?"
2.
Rorin crawled back up pointing his finger towards the elf "Sorcery! Elf-sorcery! Watch out, let him not speak. He turned the storm against me I tell ye!". With a bewildered gaze he turned towards the elf "Dont you try anything funny, elf" Rorin sought a weapon but found none, instead he lifted a chair up and held it before him as if the elf was about to attack him. But the elf stared at him, unmoved.
Hilfar listened to all the commotion from his bed, feeling little desire to meddle, especially in his poor condition.
3.
Hwesta spread his hands disarmingly. "I bear you no ill will. I seek only shelter, as do you all."
The door groaned. Everyone looked at it, fear in their eyes, but the sturdy iron and steel held.
"This storm is unnatural," the Elf said. "But I am not to blame. Would we not do better to ask ourselves what fell magic has come among us, and for what purpose?"
4.
"Unnatural! I will show you unnatural!" Rorin was beside himself with rage and was about to attack the elf with a clunky chair. Sigbert intervened by grabbing Rorins arm firmly "calm down already, if the elf knows something, we better hear him out".
Rorin pushed Sigbert back "But he is the one that started it all! Their kind are not to be trusted!".
Sigbert gestured Rorin to lower his temper "As much as I value your opinion, Rorin Strongarm, I would like to hear the elf his side of the story".
Rorin smacked the chair on the ground and with large steps walked to another room, cursing grumpily.
Sigbert turned towards the elf "You made quite an entrance for yourself stranger. Sigbert at your service, Welcome at Hrimbarg an old outpost atop a ...."
The door rambled as if it was being battered by a ram. "Enough formalities, tell me what evil followed you here?"
5.
Before anyone could say anything Meltrild stepped forward and raised her old squeaky voice: "We have storms here all the time.. you appear and the storm is called -unnatural-", she emphasized making air-quotes with her old wrinkled fingers. "Rorin is right!... and now there is some beast at the door, ready to devour us all!", she concluded shaking her stick at the elf, one more time for safety.
Nyr grinned and mumbled: "give whatever's at the door some of Meltrild's gruel, it will never bother us again".
The hinges of the door were shaking as the door was pounded by some brute force.
"This is no time for laughter!", spoke Sigbert quickly, "tell me what followed you here?" Sigbert repeated.
6.
Hwesta cast his luminous gaze over the assembled Dwarves, remembering what had happened outside. He looked at the door that shook with the violence of the storm outside, and heard the screaming of the wind. Yes, screaming. Something more than wind and snow was outside. Yet he felt no fear. The thing had not come for him.
"It didn't follow me. It came for one of you!"
7.
Sigbert looked a bit puzzled "I dont quite follow, how can a storm be searching for anyone at all?". That makes no sense.. Sigbert stared at the door "we need to brace it, Rorin help me with those support beams".
Rorin helped with one end and braced the door with two broad support beams. Sigbert inspected the door "That ought to hold for the night, Im sure it will pass".
Rorin protested "knock the head of the elf in, and it will pass immediately". Sigbert pointed to the weaponracks "we best prepare ourselves for a fight, should there be a breach..". Rorin grumbled "You want to fight a storm with a hammer?" Sigbert got annoyed "I dont hear any bright ideas from your side either!". Rorin turned redder "I already told you its elf sorcery! Get rid of him!". Sigbert raised his fist "Not every problem is solved by whacking someones head in!". Rorin roared "yes it is! Elf lover!" Sigbert jumped on Rorin "you take that back!!". Both dwarrows were brawling over the floor.
Hilfar watched the scene from the other end of the room, obviously confused about what transpired. He lay down again, his body needed rest.
8.
The night past, some were asleep some were standing their guard by the braced door. It had been silent outside for some hours now, an uneasy silence at that. Rorin for one grew impatient "We have waited long enough, let us not forget Hrimbarg belongs to the dwarrows! No storm nor foe will sway me, I am opening that door!". The small group prepared themselves for the worst. Rorin and Sigbert removed the support beams and made himself ready to open the door. His broad hand grabbed the door handle and pulled it, snow started pouring into the room covering Rorin completely.
Sigbert ran up to him trying to pull Rorin out of the snow "Durin's beard! The snow blocks all sunlight! Nyr, bring us a shovel or two." After a short while the able dwarrows started digging through the snow, tossing all scooped snow into the room. The snow proved to be 10 meters thick before they reached the top. Once above they saw something very strange "By my beard, have you ever seen this lads?". All of them looked with amazement as the snow appeared to have fallen on Hrimbarg only. They stood upon a giant heap of snow, almost covering the entire settlement. Sigert sighed "Looks like we got quite some work to do today..".
9.
Hilfars Journal
Never thought I would be able to write another entry in this old journal, but Mahal had not given up one. Clouded are his ways, but I see now why I still draw breath, he wants me to finish what I started. But my options are limited, my foot will need time to mend as of now I can barely walk. For days I trailed that mithril caravan, maybe I could have found out where it went was it not for that accursed storm. But I am left bare-handed. The caravan did not pass here, in Hrimbarg, nor will it anytime soon. The caravan is gone, and it seems I must spend the winter here until the pass opens up again.
The company here is a bit peculiar, a host of dwarves whose daily routine consists of bickering and brawling for as far as I have seen. Nevertheless, I am treated well enough, given the circumstances. Speaking of circumstances, recent events prove to be even more peculiar. Yesterday something strange happened, talk of a storm trying to break in the outpost as if it had a mind on its own. 'Rubbish' my father would say, but I am not so sure about it myself. I will have to sit it out and make myself useful once my health allows it. As much as I want to search for that mithril caravan, find prove of the ill tidings that the Uzbad and his company has to face. I have to admit, its out of my hands now, I am stuck here until spring...
10.
"What's next? Hobbits at the door?! Why don't we open an inn while we are it!", snorted Meltrild as she stared down the elf who was sitting on the bed. No doubt Meltrild wasn't pleased with the recent arrivals, especially since one of them had seemingly claimed her afternoon nap bed. "Feed them, wash them, cloth them, what ever will be next I pray? Read them a bedroom story? Though it must be said... ", Meltrild blushed and her old cheecks suddenly seemed cherry red, "some I don't mind washing", she winked at Hilfar who stood up in bed startled clenching the sheets around him.
"Oh, our Melly spider here has found herself a new treat", chuckled Nyr.
"Hush you stinker! That there is a gentle dwarrow" she pointed at Hilfar with her wrinkled fingers, "reminds me of my father of old, nothing better than a bit of reserve fat around the belly I say!", she smiled at Hilfar treating him to another wink as she handed him a bowl of foul-reeking porridge.
Nyr couldn't help but chuckle, while the others tried to hide their amusement. Hilfar smiled awkwardly.
"What are you all giggling at! Food is ready!", Meltrild shouted.
11.
After many hours most of the snow blocking Hrimbarg had been scooped out, at least good enough to walk about "Im starving!" grumbled Rorin. They tossed the shovels aside. Rorin had all of his confidence back and wasnt afraid to show it "told you the storm would pass, there was nothing unnatural about it". Sigbert rolled his eyes but was not in the mood to fight with him.
Sigbert stood still for a moment while the others walked inside for a meal. He saw a shadow shifting against the wind. He looked closer at the strange appearance as it circled further around the settlement. Strange whispers were carried by the wind in a tongue he could not understand. Sigbert quickly went inside and slammed the door tightly behind him.
12.
The Elf felt the evil before the Dwarf even heard its wails. He came near to the open door and listened, his keen ears sifting through the howling wind and driving snow. There - a cry out of time. He saw the Dwarf freeze, and the shadow flit.
He turned back into the warming hall, a dread growing in his heart. The language the shadow used was old, so old. He looked at the Dwarves and whispered, "Akallabêth. It said Akallabêth..."
Sigbert hurtled back inside, slamming the door behind him in haste. "Oh lads, we got trouble here."
Hwesta knew now what was out there. It was an ancient wight, most likely raised by the Witch-king of Angmar in the distant past, to stir the bones of the dead and ravage the land. "Let them go where they belong, into the dark places, and never return."
"Well it hasn't gone, has it, and now what are we to do!" yelled Sigbert
End of chapter 2
