by deSouza, Leo
“What do ye mean, noble sir?” Asked Thuor.
“The boulders, they blocked the path. And the men heard them saying that no one will pass there anymore.” Said the man.
“Boulders?” Asked Thuor.
The man looked at him surprised. “Yes, boulders! Didn’t you say you knew the region? Don’t you know what a boulder is?”
“Oh yes I know.” Said Thuor. “But I never heard about a talking boulder.”
“That is getting familiar.” Torag whispered.
The man chuckled as he exhaled smoke. “You can go ahead and see by yourself. But let me warn you that you will not get passage, they will not hear you, no matter what.”
Thuor looked back to the other dwarfs. “Well, fellow lumberman. Could ye tell us why those… Boulders, blocked the passage?”
Again the man chopped a piece of wood, then looked at the dwarfs. “They don’t like us, and they don’t like what we do here, so they think they can avoid our work by blocking the road, but they cannot, we are sending the logs through the river.” He said pointing down to the river on the vale bottom.
The dwarfs came close to the border of the cliff and looked down, they saw down there many logs floating on the water and following its flow down to the end of the dale.
“Well I would like to try talking to these boulders.” Said Thuor.
“So be it, but don’t come to me again to tell me that they did not let you pass. And oh! I would take care, some of them like to throw rocks at us when we get too close.” Said the man.
Thuor nodded and motioned to the other dwarfs, they advanced downhill and as they got further from the man Torag came close to Thuor and spoke: “One of two things, either this guy is smoking very good tobacco, or he is talking about these boulder creatures we met before in the desert.”
“Maybe they are telling us this just to scare strangers, to avoid people getting too close to their working field. We saw a boulder creature, but we did not get to see one talking.” Said Thuor.
“It’s true, and that makes me remember about the little rascal! The devil dust!” Torag spoke.
It was a long walk down the cliff, and the dwarfs stumbled a few times, but at some point the road became rocky, the group walked then on their familiar type of ground, so that they advanced fast on that stretch. They passed by many trees and cut logs, the logging work could be seen everywhere. The lumbermen of that region where working people, but they knew how to preserve the trees, so that there were always more trees growing, and the dale was vast enough for them to live without ever passing through scarcity. When the dwarfs finally came to the end of the path they reached the river margin, Thuor stared at the logs floating on the water. “It is not deep, even a dwarf can cross it with water at thigh height, but there are these logs…” He said.
“Why don’t we just go over it?” Asked Olaf.
“Like what? Dancing over the logs like jesters? What about our ram, Jewelry?” Asked Torag.
At this moment the dwarfs saw someone coming from the other side of the river, he came jumping over the logs with lightness and a peculiar skill.
“Who is this skinny heron?” Whispered Torag.
As the newcomer approached, Olaf recognized him. “Oh my! It is the damn elf from the boulder village! The one from the group we scuffled with!” He said.
The others looked at the elf.
“Ye are right! It is him.” Said Torag punching his palm. “It's never too late to teach a lesson or two to a naughty elf.”
“Hold on, Torag. I guess he has something to tell us.” Said Thuor as he stepped ahead.
The elf came quickly through the logs while looking down so he did not notice the dwarfs there, he finally reached the margin jumping from a last log and then looked up again, being caught off guard by the dwarfs.
“Hello jumping one! Is it not an incredible coincidence?” Said Torag loudly with a perverse smile.
The elf was wide eyed as he looked at the dwarfs one by one. He reached for his sword on his back, but Thuor raised his hand in an appeasing gesture. “Be calm, friend, we did not come to struggle.” The captain spoke.
The elf seemed suspicious for a moment, he lowered his hand again. “What do you want?”
Thuor noticed he had a bruise in his face. “Well first of all, I believe we both owe an apology.” Said the captain.
“Is this bruise still from the fight we had?” Torag asked, smiling.
The elf heard his words carefully, then replied: “If you mean this wound on my face, it is not from the fight we had, I just got it from a thrown rock. And it will disappear in no time.” Said the elf.
“Oh yes, I know the elf flesh keeps no marks and scars, at least not the small ones… But anyway, let me ask ye where did ye get this hurt, and maybe ye could also tell us who did it to ye.” Said Thuor.
“I did not see it coming, I just felt the hit and fell on the ground. When I managed to get up I heard a voice saying: Go away! Passage blocked! Go away! Or something like this.” Said the elf.
“Maybe it was one of the men.” Said Thuor.
The elf shook his head and replied: “No, I have never met a man with a voice like that, it sounded like thunder. But why do you do ask so many questions? Are you going to try the same path I did?”
Thuor nodded. “Yes, we need to pass though the vale.”
The elf stepped ahead and walked through the dwarfs, Torag looked at him in dislike.
“You better find another way, unless you know how to avoid flying rocks and how to climb tall cliffs. The path is blocked and there is a huge amount of boulders to prevent you from passing.” The elf said.
“Wait.” Said Thuor. “The lumbermen said something about talking boulders.”
The elf continued walking. “I have heard about much foolishness, you can go and talk to the boulders if you want, ask them to get out of the way. The lumbermen blocked the passage by themselves, they don’t want anyone passing through this vale. Maybe there is even some dodger talking through a horn to do that thundering voice.” The elf replied.
“Look… Maybe we can help each other.” Said Thuor.
Now the elf stopped and then turned back. “What is this about? The last time we discussed everything ended up in a drubbing.”
“It is different now, I believe we have a common interest. We need to cross the river and ye need to pass through the boulders. We could help in removing some of it from the road so we could climb and leave the vale.” The captain said.
The elf thought for a moment, and then spoke: “What do you want from me?”
Thuor turned and motioned to the ram. “Our animal can cross the river by jumping through the logs, but it needs someone to guide him pulling the rein. And I don’t think any of us are suitable for this task.”
The elf looked at the ram. “Fine. It would take an entire day to circle the dale anyway.”
“Oh what is this, captain? We don’t need this dizzy heron to do it for us.” Said Torag.
“Be quiet, Torag. Ye can imagine if the ram falls in the water between the logs, we would not manage to take it from there.” Said Thuor.
“What if the elf makes the ram fall?” Asked Torag.
“I will not, my legs are not the size of a stool like yours, and I’m not fat enough to make any of these logs sink or roll, I can jump the same as a ram.” Said the elf. He took the rein from Rurur’s hand, not without the dwarf looking at him with some distrust. The elf approached the margin and quickly jumped over a log, he continued jumping and the ram came after him with no difficulty, so that after a few moments the pair crossed the river gracefully, reaching the other side. There he turned and raised his hand to the dwarfs.
“Great! Now is our turn.” Said Torag rubbing his palms as he looked ahead to the logs on the river. He jumped on one of them and skidded over for a moment, then straightened and prepared for another jump, but slipped as the momentum took him and he fell onto another log. Olaf laughed, Torag got on all fours as he
tried to get up, but found it difficult as the logs rolled. “Ye think ye can do better? Why don’t ye try?” He asked.
“I will show ye.” Said Olaf. He jumped on a log and came walking slowly, passed by Torag and advanced a bit more, then stopped. “Ye see, it is just about not being dizzy and stupid.”
Thuor and Rurur came after. It took some time for the dwarfs to cross the river, much more time than the elf, and they fell and stumbled many times, they held onto each other, scolded and slipped, but in the end all the dwarfs were on the opposite margin of the river. There the elf gave the rein back to Rurur, and the group took the path up the cliff. The sun rose higher and they could already see the first rays of it hitting the rocky wall while the rest of the dale was still under shadow. The path leading up was rocky too, so they advanced without much difficulty, except for the elf who sometimes stepped on his tiptoes among the rocks. It took more time to go up than to go down as this path was more winding and rough, but when they finally reached the top, they saw the road going through a passage between cliffs, and at some point a bunch of large boulders blocking the passage.
“That will be an overwhelming task.” Said Olaf.
Torag leaned against the cliff on the roadside. “Why don’t we just ask the boulders to get out of the way?” He said with an insinuating mien.
Thuor came very close to the blockage and knocked on one of the boulders, then came back and gathered with the others.
“So… Is it alive like the one we met before?” Olaf asked.
“Not that I can see.” The captain spoke.
“Why don’t we just throw water like before? They would get out of the way.” Rurur said.
“And then they would crush us, we ran the last time because there was space for us, not something we could do now among these cliffs.” The captain replied.
“What is this absurdity you are talking about?” The elf asked.
“Listen to me. If the boulders are just… Boulders… Then I believe half a day is enough for us to remove the top ones, so we can climb the lower ones and leave this vale.” Thuor said.
“Still seems better than circling the vale, which would take much more time, and probably the same tiredness.” Said the Elf.
“Be gone!” Shouted a strong voice from behind the group.
Everyone turned and looked around.
“Who said that?” Asked Thuor.
The elf shook his head. “It’s probably one of the lumbermen, they are trying to scare us.”
The group gathered again.
“Right captain, when do we begin?” Asked Olaf.
“Now. Let’s attach a hook on one boulder and then we can pull it from here.” Said Thuor.
Torag went to the saddle and unrolled a rope, he tied a hook on its tip while the others dropped their belongings on the ground and prepared to work.
“Go away!” Shouted again the strong mysterious voice.
Torag turned to look at it and was about to say something when a small rock hit his forehead. The dwarf stumbled and stood with crossed eyes for a moment, then rubbed his forehead and blinked. “Enough of this foolishness!” He said dropping the rope on the ground. He raised his axe in the air and waved it. “Come ye coward! Show yourself! Stop acting like an insolent child!”
There was no answer, all they could hear was the wind blowing. Torag snorted and grumbled something inaudible, then crouched and took the rope from the ground, but when he rose again, another rock came from behind and hit his back. The dwarf turned furious, he dropped the rope again and wielded his axe, turned back and ran towards the boulders while crying. “Show yourself ye cowardly rascal!
Again there was no answer, Torag took a rock from the ground and threw it with violence against the boulders, the rock cracked. Everyone looked around as if expecting someone to show up from behind some slit. A stone noise was heard, the blockage wall trembled, everyone stepped back, at the top of the blockage one boulder stirred, it suddenly moved as if it was alive, and it actually was. The rubble rose and was revealed to be the same kind of creature the dwarfs met before in the desert. It stood looking at the dwarfs and the elf, the creature growled and stirred, spreading dust in the air. “Who are ye? And why do ye disturbs my sleep?” Asked the creature.
For a moment no one said anything, except for Torag who was head down, shaking and grumbling. “Here we go again…”
The elf was wide eyed. Rurur had to hold the ram’s rein to stop him from running away, Thuor talked: “Well herm… We are just a group of humble travelers passing by this vale, and we would like to use the passage. My fellow… Rubble one.”
The creature growled quietly with the most rocky voice. “Passing... Why do ye think there is a passage here? Can’t ye see all these boulders? There is no passage.” The creature suddenly agitated and spoke so loud that the elf covered his ears. “Lumbermen! Are ye lumbermen?” He asked, his voice reverberating through the cliffs.
“No! We talked to them, and they told us that there was a passage. They even told us that we could ask ye to give us space to pass.” Said Thuor.
“Ha!” Exclaimed the creature. “Did them told ye that? Did they told ye why they cannot use this passage anymore? Did they told ye why they don’t come to talk to us by themselves?”
Thuor shook his head. “No, they did not tell us about this. But why don’t ye tell us by yourself, master rubble? I’ve met some of your kin before.”
The creature growled quietly, then it crouched and took a rock from near his feet, he smashed the rock on his hand, dropping the dust among its unique and massive three fingers. “Ye see these rocks… They are hard and resistant, no weapon can easily break them, it’s necessary a hard work of many mattocks and hammers… like yours master dwarf, to carve on such a beautiful things. And yet… There is something that can break it, it just takes time, but in the end it always win the battle, ye must know what I’m talking about, master dwarf, for ye dwell in caves, water it is.”
“Oh… That is for sure. But what is the problem at all? The river is down there.” Said Thuor.
“The river ye say! Don’t ye know, master dwarf, where the water comes from? It comes from above, from the sky.” Said the creature pointing up.
Thuor nodded and then replied: “So do ye have a problem with rain, master rubble?”
“No, rain was never a problem. The problem is when there are no roots from trees to cling the boulders to the vale cliff. And the lumbermen are the ones killing our tree friends!” Said the creature.
“I see… So that is why ye are in struggle with them.” Said Thuor.
“Yes.” Answered the creature with a complacent tone. “Many of us have fallen downhill and are now lying on the river bottom. We don’t like to be on the water, master dwarf, and we lost many of our folks because of this.”
“I understand. May I ask ye, if ye would like to have any help from us? Maybe ye want us to talk with the lumbermen.” Said Thuor.
The creature growled loudly, so strong that it made the cliffs tremble and some small rocks and dust fall from it rolling away. “Talk to the lumbermen! Why do ye think they would hear us? All they care about is logging, cutting and sawing. No master, dwarf, they don’t hear anyone when it comes to the way they work.”
Torag snorted and said quietly: “Why don’t ye simply expel them from the dale? It would be easy for ye.”
“Because we don’t fight, master dwarf. We can move cliffs, change the course of a river, but we never fight, it is something against our nature, doing that would cause us suffering, but we can make someone scared and run.” Said the creature.
“And yet ye can throw a rock pretty well…” Whispered Torag.
“So tell me, noble dweller of this dale, how could this impasse be solved?” Asked Thuor.
The creature looked down, thoughtful: “If ye want to help in this. I would offer a deal.”
“Nice. A deal, killing some lumbermen seems well for me.” Said Torag.
“No killing!
There is a task ye could do. There are no folks like us on the other side of the valley, we live in this side, and we don’t disturb the lumbermen in their works, but they come to us and cut our trees on this side of the dale. I would say, we could have peace, if they were content with the other side only, leave us alone here.” Said the creature.
“Right. And how do ye think we could achieve this?” Asked Thuor.
“By force, of course!” Replied the creature.
Torag spat on the ground and spoke: “Ye just said ye don’t fight, and ye don’t want us to kill anyone, how could it be done by force?”
“Using force does not always mean being violent, master dwarf.” Said the creature. “There is a way we could arrange things with no struggle.”
Thuor nodded. “I’m all ears.”
“The lumbermen cross the river because they control its torrent, there is a barrage up on the waterfall top. If the river ran freely, there would be no way to cross it.” Said the creature.
“So ye want us to break the barrage! Releasing the river’s wrath! Killing many men by drowning!” Exclaimed Torag.
The creature answered with calm voice, but still imposing. “Freeing the river is enough, no one will die.”
“Oh and… How would we do it?” Asked Thuor.
“There is a lever, it does not take much effort to move it. It breaks all the structure. They did it this way because at the end of each logging season they release the river again and leave. They generally leave someone there watching, but a man only.” Said the creature.
“They will build the barrage again, no matter what.” Olaf said.
“Still it would be enough time for the trees to grow again here, and for their roots to get firm on the rocks, besides, the lumberman would come to know that someone here is not satisfied and can intervene in their work.” The Boulder one said.
The group of dwarfs gathered, the elf was far off trying to climb a cliff, but the walls were too steep and slippery.
