“Who’s out there?” Amicia yelled, holding firmly to Edeill’s fur as she pivoted to have a look around.
“I see nothing,” the wolf growled. “We should keep moving.”
“I swear I heard someone laugh,” she replied, annoyed that he didn’t take her seriously.
“I heard it, too,” the Mate called forward. “I think we should have a stop and investigate.”
Making the decision for them, Amicia threw her leg over and slid off the side, landing on the ground with a loud thud. Pain shot through her body, and she instantly regretted the move. “Ow!”
“What the hell did you do that for?” Rey demanded, his wolf lying to allow him to climb off. Reaching the girl, he ran his hands over her in a much too familiar manner, earning him a slap on back of them.
“Stop that,” she shouted. “I’m not hurt. It was just farther to the ground than I realized.”
Laughter sounded again, a small boisterous peal, both above their heads and a bit to the left from the direction of their travel. Swinging around and scouring the canopy, Piers pointed as he gasped, “I see it. It looks like a miniature man!” They had seen so many creatures in Eriden a precise identification would require closer scrutiny.
Aware that he had been discovered, the gnome scurried down the trunk, using a rope, which had been wrapped around and held by one end in each hand. Leaning back, he used a bit of leverage to speed the movement as the rope held him in place for short bursts of descent. On the ground, he spun around to face the group members, who had closed in around him.
“I mean no harm!” he offered, holding up his hands as if to surrender to those who had encircled him.
Pushing through the others, Amicia stood before him. A short creature, all of three feet, the only one of less height in their party was Oldrilin, and it wasn’t by much. “Who are you?” the girl demanded, noting the tiny robe that covered him, including his head and most of his face.
Looking up at her with wide brown eyes, the tiny man confessed, “I am called Sevoassi. I am a gnome from the Falconmarsh.”
“Gnome,” Edeill growled, “you are a long way from home. How did you come to hide within our forest?”
“Well, firstly, I would argue the forest doesn’t belong to you,” the miniature creature snapped. “Secondly, how and why I have come is of no concern to you.”
“Please, don’t argue,” the blonde sighed, deeming the gnome peaceful. Stepping closer, she held out her hand. “I am Amicia Spicer, traveler from Nalen and mortal of the rim.”
Blinking up at her, the gnome doubted she were any of those things, but disagreeing would certainly only lead to more trouble. Instead, he accepted the appendage, inspecting her fingers, then releasing them. “Why are you here?”
Surprised by the question, Ami considered how she should reply. On the surface, they were merely passing through, but deeper, she knew there was a great deal more to it than that. “We wish to visit the dwarves,” she replied evenly.
“Visit them,” the gnome cackled. “Unlikely.” Looking around at the others, he pushed his hood back so he could have a better look, exposing his deep red hair and beady eyes, almost black. A long auburn beard and mustache sprang from his crinkled face and wiggled as he spoke. “Come. I will see you have dinner before the dwarfs remove your limbs from your torso.”
Taken aback, Amicia gasped in short, “Oh my.”
“What an odd thing to say,” Reynard observed, placing the siren on the ground.
“Tis true,” Sevoassi replied, pointing at him with a short digit. “Nasty creatures are the dwarves, so filled with their own importance.”
“We’ll judge them for ourselves, thanks,” Amicia snapped, regaining her voice after the previous shocking statement.
“My burrow is this way,” the gnome continued, indicating the direction he intended to take. His feet pattering as he moved, he didn’t bother to look back.
“I advise against this,” Edeill growled.
“You know this guy?” the Mate intervened. “I mean, this is your forest. Surely you would know if a gnome had moved in.”
“I have never laid eyes on him before,” the alpha replied tartly. “We have a large area of land, so we don’t watch every inch of it, but I dare say he has not been here long. We would have seen or heard of his arrival in time, I assure you.”
“Anyway,” Amicia sighed, “should we take him up on the offer of a meal or not?”
Glancing around at one another, no one in her party seemed to have a clear opinion on the idea despite the wolf’s objection. Craning to see in the direction he had taken, the girl grinned deviously, “Well, in that case, I’m going to see what a gnome home looks like. Follow me,” she commanded, taking up the lead as she hoisted her pack and bow into position.
“I do not recommend this course of action,” Edeill growled. “In fact, we still have a few hours of light left. We should keep moving.”
“Go if you don’t want to wait,” she yelled over her shoulder, eager to be rid of the wolves.
“Ami,” Piers called after her, hurrying to catch up. In front of her, he turned to announce, “Let’s not be too hasty. If we lose our rides, it might take us days to reach the dwarf mountain, and it could become a more dangerous journey as well. They say we should keep moving, and I think we should heed that advice.”
“Are you pulling rank?” she snorted, closing the distance between them before she said more quietly, “I have a feeling, Piers. Something tells me we need to visit with the old gnome, and to be honest I don’t really like these wolves. They may be kin of the southern pack, but these are not Uscan and his clan. If they leave us, I don’t see it as a loss.”
Staring at her then flicking his gaze beyond her head, he could see the alpha glaring at them. He hated to admit he had felt the same about the northern pack almost from the moment they met them. His gaze back on her, he announced, “We’re breaking here for the night.” Pushing past her to speak to the large white figure bearing down on them, he added, “We appreciate your help –”
“What good is it to have the advice of a local if we don’t take it?” Meena complained, almost certain the displaced gnome would be nothing but trouble.
“Please, love,” he addressed his bride more softly. “Amicia and I have discussed it, and we would rather leave the company of the northern pack.”
“Tired of us already?” Edeill growled, his blue eyes burning as he glared at the man in charge.
“We’ll get along,” the Mate replied evenly, hiding his racing heart behind a calm facade; if the wolves turned against them, it would be one hell of a fight, one they would probably lose. “Again, thank you for getting us this far.”
Obviously upset, the wolves formed a ring around the group for as much as the trees allowed. Her pulse quickened, Amicia stared at the path the gnome had taken, noting that he had paused and turned to watch the spectacle. “Help us,” she directed at him, breathing deeply as she focused on their latest acquaintance.
Growling, the pack appeared to be conversing using the telepathy as well, as several of them snarled and pawed the ground, but their final decision was reached quickly. “We will leave you,” Edeill announced gruffly. “Good luck with the dwarves.”
Howls echoed through the trees as the group disappeared, leaving in the direction they had come. Panting, Amicia chortled, “Oh my God. For a second, I thought they would turn on us.”
“As did I,” the Mate agreed, pulling Meena into his arms and rocking her gently.
“Your supper awaits,” the gnome called, drawing them back to the present and their altered company.
“We’re coming,” Bally yelled back, rearranging their gear now that they would be forced to walk the rest of the way.
Gnome Home
“Do you think they have really gone?” Rey asked doubtfully.
“I fear they may return,” Ami agreed.
“Good riddance,” the Mate muttered. “Everyone grab what you can carry.
It does not appear to be far if we must make two trips.”
“We’ll have to repack everything now that we are reduced to foot travel,” Meena observed, glancing in the direction of their new host.
“We’ll manage,” Piers countered. “This forest would not lend itself well to the litters with these massive roots cluttering the trails, but by reducing the size of our gear, we should be able to carry it upon our backs easily enough.”
“Well, there is a limit to the shrinkage,” Meena grunted, hoisting her load onto her shoulders and reminding him of the first time he saw her, carrying a large jar of water back in Whitefair.
“We’ll make do, love,” he said more softly, a smile curling his lips.
Noticing the grin, she scowled, “You appear awfully pleased with yourself.”
“Not really,” he chuckled, watching as the others limped along, leaving the pair of them behind. “Remember our discussion about trust?”
“Of course,” she agreed, keeping her balance as she passed him.
Catching her arm, he held her, turning her to look at him. “I need you to trust me,” he informed her before their lips met in a fiery kiss.
Resisting for a moment, Meena felt stiff, surprised by the open display of affection. Relaxing into the passion of their connection, she breathed heavily when he released her. Licking her lip, she slurred, “That would be one way to convince me.” Opening her eyes, she stared into his. “You are not typically so forward, sir.”
“And I am usually unaffected at the thought of losing a woman. But you are not just any woman, love. I know we have spoken our vows, but there is more than words to a happy marriage. We have said our apologies, but I fear there is still some bitterness between us.”
“You want my support,” she cut to the chase.
“Yes. I don’t think we needed them, and what’s more, Ami thought as much. Please do not undermine our leadership, love,” he practically begged, glancing to see that the others had disappeared. “I need you to be united with me, especially as things get harder.”
“And here I didn’t think you had it in you to grovel,” she smiled more fully, leaning forward and pressing her lips to his for a shorter kiss before she agreed, “I will restrain my negative commentary despite my misgivings in this matter. I understand you not caring for my opinion.”
“I didn’t say I didn’t care for it,” he laughed. “I would just prefer you gave it to me in private from now on,” he replied, lifting his own burden and following her down the narrow path. “Can we agree on that?”
“I’m sure that we can,” she called over her shoulder, ahead of him on the trail.
Arriving at a giant tree, he could see that a large hollow had formed at the base of it. Dropping their packs with the others next to what appeared to be the door, he indicated the entrance. “After you.”
Sitting and sliding her feet in first, Meena turned and wriggled her way in, her toes finding the small indentions carved into the dirt wall below the doorway that served as the stairs. Using them and the roots that gave her something to grip, she made it to the earth floor inside Sevoassi’s home.
Before her, the small chamber appeared cramped. Giant roots acted as chairs along the walls of the dugout basin in the earth below the massive tree, and each of their group had located a place to sit to maximize the space. Ami sat next to the fire with Rey, and Zae on the right. Facing them on the opposite side, Bally and Animir left room for her and the Mate to join them.
“What a quaint home you have,” she observed, taking her seat as her husband joined her.
“I do not entertain many guests,” the gnome replied politely. “Be comfortable, and I will serve you,” he proffered.
Before the fire, two small stools sat, Oldrilin occupying one of them. “Thank you. Quite cozy is your home,” she praised with her typical grin as she did so.
“Why thank you,” the gnome smiled, handing each of them a cup of cool water to sip while they waited, served from a large bucket and ladle next to his hearth.
Once they were comfortable, he used the group’s larger pot and placed his smaller one on a hook next to the hearth. Adding water and small chunks of meat, followed by vegetables, the gnome hummed to himself, then spoke to the girl he assumed to lead them. “Far from the rim you have come. How is it you have gathered so many from the magical realm?”
“Well, we’re friends,” Amicia explained, looking around at the others with sad eyes. “It is quite a long story, truth be told.”
“The truth should always be told,” Sevoassi observed, his hands busy as he added spices and then gave the boiling liquid a taste. “Please, tell me of your adventures,” he beseeched, sitting upon the second small seat next to the siren.
Taken with the diminutive creature, Ami admired the sharpness of his gaze as he looked at each member, as if he could peer beyond the surface and see what each held within. “Well, I guess I could begin, but mine is by far not the most exciting of our tales.”
“Pfft,” Rey countered. “You only think that because you lived it. To those of us looking in, it is a grand adventure indeed.”
“No more exciting than yours,” she laughed. Turning her attention to their host, she started with her mother’s funeral. “I lost my mum. That’s really where the story originates for my part. Well, that and my childhood dream of crossing the sea. After she had gone, I had no reason to stay, as Nalen no longer felt like home.” It saddened her that her quest may have been folly, and the simple act of running away from her loss rather than facing it.
“Nalen,” Sevoassi parroted.
“Yes, a port town along the rim,” Ami explained. “I caught passage on a ship –”
“Our ship,” Bally cut her off. “She stowed away and had to be rescued by the Mate here before the crew could –”
“I’m sure he can picture what the crew wanted to do,” Piers took over smoothly. “Suffice it to say we’ve been together a long time. Two years, or near enough,” he grinned.
Noticing the rapport the group seemed to share, the gnome agreed, “Yes, but that doesn’t explain how you came to Eriden, not in the least.”
“A dragon,” Rey spoke up, then took a large gulp from the cup of water he’d been served. Wiping the excess from his lips with his arm, he elaborated, “A giant dragon scuttled the ship, burning the masts down around our ears. The Mate got us out of there though, and we floated along on a raft until we crashed upon the shores.”
“Most sad,” Lin agreed, blinking her wide blue eyes and sporting a full pout.
“You saw Riran?” Sevoassi asked in awe.
“Aye, the sirens put us right,” the Mate admitted half-heartedly, “but the dragons did not allow us to rest there long.”
“They attacked the mermaids, and we were forced to flee,” Amicia chimed in. “Oldrilin was injured and we took her with us… Then we were taken in by the elves.”
“It sounds like you have had a grand adventure indeed!” the gnome exclaimed, checking their stew.
“I’m not sure the word adventure quite covers it,” Meena laughed, hoping she sufficed as civil. “We have had little rest in our travels, and the dragons still hunt us.”
The group mumbled agreements, nodding their heads and adjusting themselves in their seats anxiously. Seeing their discomfort, Sevoassi shook his head. “Have no fear, my friends. There would be no cause for them to discover you here. You will be safe within my walls.”
The group seemed pleased with their new companion, and so the story continued, each adding commentary that seemed appropriate. Leaning against Rey as the evening wore on, he laid his arm across Ami’s shoulders and pulled her snugly against his chest. She took comfort in his presence, distracting her from the loss of her dragon. She had made few attempts to contact him that day, as it only made her more forlorn as each failed to make the connection.
By the time they were explaining Jerranyth, Bally had taken over, and quite a few embellishments were added, which left the rem
ainder of them in fits of giggles. Noticing the aroma of their dinner, Amicia politely interrupted as they were building the cabin in Esterbrook. “Pardon everyone, but I think we may be ready to dine soon.”
Leaping up from his stool, the gnome stirred the pot, then agreed, “Yes, a delectable dinner awaits.” Considering the consumption, he added, “I’m not sure how we will serve everyone, though, as I only have a few dishes.”
“We each have a bowl,” Bally boasted as he climbed the tiny steps to fetch them from his bag, “I made certain that they were packed along with our cauldron when we fled before the dragon attacked us a few nights ago.”
“Ah, right then,” Sevoassi agreed. Using a large scoop, he filled the bowls, which were passed down the line on each side until everyone had been served. Once they all had begun to eat, the gnome turned to Amicia to observe, “So, you have met many of our natives, and you have many more to come.”
“Yes,” she agreed between bites. “After we left the glen, we picked up Meena in the desert. Then in the north, we met the trolls, who helped us escape when the dragons returned for us,” she explained with a sigh.
“The trolls,” Sevoassi gasped, his eyes wide with disbelief. “Surely not. The trolls are friends to no one,” he corrected.
“They are friends to us,” the girl insisted somberly. “We built a cabin there in the forest. Their high priest performed the wedding for Meena and Piers as well,” she added, tears forming in her eyes as she recalled the celebration that followed. “They are dear creatures.” The idea the wolves would try to harm them disturbed her, stealing her appetite as she stirred what remained of her stew.
“Dear creatures… trolls,” the gnome whispered, blinking at the young woman before him. Few had he met who possessed such an accepting heart and none who would refer to the ground-dwellers as anything but savages. “You are indeed unique, Amicia Spicer. Speak of what you need.”
Cutting her eyes up at him, the girl blinked back her drops of sorrow. “I wish them to be safe. Edeill asked me about their home within the mountain, as if I would reveal to him how they could be reached. I fear for their safety even now, as the wolves have left us and returned in their direction.”
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