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The air smelled damp and moldy giving him the strange perception of death. Was this death? He never thought it would be so disorienting and painful. Was this where you went until someone completed the appeasing journey to release you to the ancestors? That thought ignited a spark and tiny flashes of memory began peeking through the haze and pain. He suddenly felt an urgent need to be going somewhere and to be doing something. Faces flashed in his mind that he knew he recognized but couldn’t quite identify. Suddenly, a voice pushed through the fog. I will watch over you on your adventure. What adventure? Teek reached for the voice as it came again echoing through his mind. I will watch over you on your adventure. He knew that voice, he knew he did. The face of an old man came into focus in his mind as he repeated the words. I will watch over you on your adventure. Twee? Twee. The name meant something, he was certain of it. Twee. Then he remembered. Something connected in his brain and the fog and confusion dissipated in a rush.

Reaching down to the cloth around his waist he felt the hidden pocket that was laced inside it and touched the hard figure of the medallion his old friend had given to him at his death. He had forgotten it was there but felt great relief to find it still safe. That and the dagger his mother had given him were all of his cherished possessions. He felt his side for his mother’s gift but knew before he reached for it that it would not be there. The dwarfs. But why? His mother had always told him that the dwarfs were a good race of noble people. It was a dwarf that had given her the dagger and also a gem to help her complete her appeasing journey. Why would they attack him? It was all too confusing and trying to work it out only made his head ache more. The best thing for the moment was to merely lie still and wait for the beating in his skull to cease. He listened to the wispy sound of his own breathing and tried to will the pounding out of his head and into the cool rock beneath.

Teek woke up with a start. He thought he’d heard a door close. A tiny candle winked at him from a few feet away straining to beat back the darkness of his new home. It wasn’t bright but was just enough to reveal the outline of a hardwood door just to its right. On the left Teek could make out the shape of a bowl emitting just the tiniest hint of steam. Taking a deep breath, he tried to catch the scent of it but only caught the dusty smell that haunted his cell.

With a heavy sigh, Teek crawled slowly toward the light, shading his eyes as he did so. Though a tiny flicker, his eyes had become accustomed to the suffocating blackness that squeezed in on him and they were now reacting as if they’d never seen light before. Had he been here that long? Of course, there was no way of telling, though he figured it couldn’t have been more than a couple of days. His head felt better, the pounding more like an echo now, but he didn’t want to move too suddenly and wake the pain again.

Reaching for the bowl he found a mound of something pasty. Pulling it up to his nose he took a hesitant sniff but could still only catch the dusty scent of the room. Dipping in a finger he touched the mash to his tongue and found its taste was not much stronger than its odor. Taking a larger piece he swallowed it down. His stomach didn’t seem to object, in fact, a rumble traveled up his chest as if pleading for more, so he put his whole hand in and grabbed what was left. As he ate, Teek glanced about his surroundings taking advantage of the tiny amount of light before the candle went completely out. Its purpose was obviously to allow just enough time to eat before consuming itself in a tuft of smoke.

The light revealed a roughhewn cave of sorts carved out of solid rock that formed a perfect square. Teek figured he could stretch his arms out from the middle of the room and still have just enough space to take a step in any direction. It was small and confining. The door was made of a solid piece of hardwood that snuggled in perfectly with the rock opening making a tight seal except for a tiny crack along the bottom. It was curved at the top and lacked a handle. It was obvious that escape was futile. And even if the chance to get away presented itself, he didn’t know where he was, where would he go?

The candle flickered and gasped and he knew it was only moments before he was embraced by darkness again. Surprisingly, he found that he was not as afraid as he thought he might be. Having accepted his circumstances he felt little anxiety as to what was going to happen to him. It had to be a misunderstanding. That’s how he comforted himself anyway. His mother had told him of the dwarfs many times. They were a fair and honest people. He would just wait until they came for him and then everything would be worked out. The candle suddenly gave one last breath of life and then choked itself out encasing him in a cocoon of darkness.

Time became meaningless, crawling along slowly with tiny breaks marked only by the occasional meal and candle wisp. At first Teek had kept count of the times his meals came trying to keep track of days by the number of bowls he’d licked clean. But, his idealistic thoughts of dwarfs and their fairness were snuffed out with the faded candlelight ten bowls of gruel ago. His previous feelings of eventual release had quickly dissipated leaving him with the growing pain of loss and loneliness that brought on a dreaded sense of hopelessness. Would he live out the rest of his life in this tomb, forgotten by all and given up for dead by his family? It seemed almost inevitable. Teek began to sink into despair. The thought of death quickly became a welcomed friend if he could only find it. Better dead then left alone in such solitude and darkness.

The latch on the door clicked and the door moved outward. Was it time for another meal? He wasn’t sure but it seemed like he’d eaten only a short time before. He was puzzled why they even bothered to feed him if his lot was to stay trapped in this solid rock prison. No matter. He’d decided to stop eating. There was no pleasure in it anyway. A slop of gruel three times a day was nothing to look forward to. He would rather just be left to his dark tomb to die. The pain of starving to death could not compare to the pain he felt for his family. They would never know what happened to him. They would always wonder why he never returned. He supposed that, in time, his mother would depart on another appeasing journey to send his soul to his ancestors. The thought of her putting herself in harms way just for him was almost too much for him to bear.

A bright light followed the open door this time forcing Teek to roll away and cover his eyes. It was not the tiny candle he was used to that flooded his cell this time. A rough voice growled, “Put this over yer eyes,” just as something landed in his lap, startling him. He felt it with his hands and discovered a small piece of oval leather with small cords tied on either side. Picking it up, Teek wrapped the cord around his head and quickly tied them at the back leaving the leather as a protective shield over his eyes.

“On yer feet,” the voice growled again.

No sooner was Teek on his feet then rough hands grabbed him and forced his arms behind his back tightly tying his wrists. The hands then grabbed his arm and dragged him forward and out of the cell. Teek didn’t know whether to feel elation or dread. Was he to be set free or executed? They turned left down a corridor but then made so many twists and turns that Teek lost all sense of direction. They did ascend a number of stairways but Teek had no idea whether that was good or bad. His legs did tire quickly though and he soon had to be carried. To his surprise, the time spent cramped in his little cell had weakened him considerably.

Suddenly, they stopped and Teek could hear a door being opened. The guard carrying him stepped through and Teek felt a cool breeze wash over his body filling him with renewed life. It was like knocking down the cobwebs left from a long winter and sweeping the dust out the door. He was outside again! He could feel the warmth of the sun caress his tired limbs warming them in its embrace and sparking his heart with a newfound hope. Could it be he was finally going to be let go? The thought was almost too much to hope for. He would go straight home and take his family in his arms again and never let them go. He had had enough adventure for one lifetime. Twee had been right. The best adventures were those spent at home with his family. Twee. Oh, no. He still had his appeasing journey to complete. He had to complete the task, and he would. But, then it was straight home for good.

Teek could make out distant voices of others quickly growing louder as they walked until they made another turn and he found himself in an overwhelming din. With the noise came a myriad of smells that made his mush filled stomach grumble with desire. The smell of cakes and roasting meats and frying vegetables along with many tasty scents he couldn’t make out wafted against his nose making his mouth water. Where could they be where such a large number of people would be gathered? A chill ran up his spine as he remembered the two men who had captured him after he released Tchee from their trap. Zel and Brak were taking him to Gildor to be sold as a slave. Is that what the dwarfs had in store for him now? But they were far from Gildor. They had to be. Even though Teek had never been there, he knew that it was days from where he had been captured. Unless, that is, he’d been taken there while he was unconscious and had been held in a dungeon under the city this whole time. The sun’s warmth suddenly became cold with the thought. This adventure was nothing like he’d imagined it would be. Where are you Twee with your promise to watch over me?

With another unexpected turn, the noise from the crowd quickly faded away until it became a low hum in the distant background occasionally broken by a passerby. Teek thought he could feel a gentle rise as he was carried farther along into the unknown. Another door opened and then closed behind them, shutting out the sun and breeze along with his hopes of release. It was too much to try and guess what his fate would be. The ups and downs of hope and despair were wearing on him to the point of sapping his life away. He suddenly felt exhausted. More doors opened and closed but he paid them no mind.

Finally, he was set down on his wobbly legs and, after untying his hands, the same gruff voice commanded him to remove the eye covering. Reaching back tentatively, Teek removed the leather that had protected his eyes from the unfamiliar light. He kept his eyes closed still for long moments trying to allow them time to adjust to the light of the room. “Where am I?”

The question was answered with a heavy handed slap to the back of his head. “Ye be askin’ no questions here, boy. Ye just be answerin’ what’s asked when it be asked.”

Teek blinked at the light catching tiny glimpses of his surroundings as he tried to get a better grasp of his situation. What he really wanted to do was cry, but somehow he knew that to do so would only earn him greater wrath from his guard. The room they were in was small and without furnishings. Three sconces holding torches were fixed to the walls on either side lighting the room painfully bright. A large iron-studded wood door greeted him in the front mirroring the one they had just come through. Except for the carpeted floor, he felt that he very well could have been back in his cell.

He suddenly realized the presence of a second guard standing behind and to his left, which made the room feel even more cramped and confining. Both guards were non-descript dwarfs with powerful looking arms that looked to be able to crush stone by merely swinging the meaty hands that hung at their sides. Neither carried a visible weapon but it was obvious that either of them could snap Teek in half like a long dried reed without the slightest effort. Both were dressed in black-leather that gripped tightly to their rippled bodies almost giving them the appearance of having black skin. Long red hair draped in a braid down their backs contrasting greatly against the leather giving them an almost blood hue. The one thing that did strike Teek more than anything was that the proud beard that normally swathed the belly of most dwarfs was curiously absent. Instead, each wore a tightly trimmed goatee that extended on either side of the jaw like small pieces of rope. These, like their hair, were tightly braided. In fact, both dwarfs would have looked strikingly identical save for the patch that covered the left eye of one.

Long moments stretched on and passed and neither guard moved or said a word. Both might have been carved directly out of the stone that made up the walls if not for the occasional breath that revealed them as living. What were they waiting for? Teek had dared not move from the spot where they dropped him but his legs were starting to weaken and cramp and he wasn’t sure how much longer he would be able to stand. Suddenly, the door opened and Teek yelped with surprise. This, of course, earned him another smack to the head that nearly dropped him to the floor.

Another black leather clad guard stood in the door and issued a solitary command. “Come.”

Teek felt the rough hands grab him about the arms again and half lift him forward into a cavernous room that was grander than any he had ever imagined. The room was so large that Tchee could have flown comfortably around in it and not been cramped in the least. Four gigantic pillars rose from the smooth rock floor each carved in the shape of a rock troll holding up the ceiling far above. They gave Teek the shivers. He had heard of such horrible beasts from Twee and he couldn’t help but feel that their eyes were somehow directed right at him. At first it appeared that the walls to either side were decorated with magnificent tapestries that reached from ceiling to floor but Teek suddenly realized that the pictures were actually carved right into the walls themselves. They were beautiful and terrible at the same time with their intricate designs and perfect detail but the scenes of battle and death were truly frightening. Teek couldn’t help but feel that the warriors depicted in the scenes could, at any moment, jump out of the rock and attack. Although there was no obvious source of light, the room shone brightly reflecting off the polished rock and giving Teek the feeling that nothing could be hidden here.

The guard that opened the door took the lead while Teek’s original two guards flanked him on either side and dragged him forward. He got a quick glimpse of two larger and more imposing doors to his left as they turned and moved up the center of the room between the ominous troll pillars. Those doors must have been the main entrance while the small door they came through was obviously meant for entrance by prisoners. It was then that Teek noticed the large dais commanding the far end of the room. It was made of three tiers of marble slabs that supported an imposing throne at the pinnacle. Each tier was twice Teek’s height making it impossible for anyone short of a giant to take the steps up to the throne from the front. He figured there must be stairs at the back or ladders would have to be used to climb to the top. The first tier held a pair of statues on either side fashioned into the shapes of giant wolves with teeth bared and a paw extended in attack. The second tier was left empty while the third held the throne. It was pure gold and inlaid with large sparkling gems the size of Teek’s head. With the amount of light reflecting off the polished walls the gems created a kaleidoscope of flashing color that made Teek’s head swim. On either side of the throne there was a large battleaxe that curved in a long S-like shape with a spiked point at the top. Teek had the ominous feeling that these were not mere decoration. Taking in the room as a whole it was obviously meant to cower and intimidate any who was unlucky enough to require an audience. It was working.

Finally, resting his eyes on the one commanding the thrown, Teek felt the room a simple decoration compared to the rough-hewn dwarf sitting above him. He didn’t particularly look much different than the other dwarfs he had seen—the same long, red hair, the same piercing blue eyes, the same large nose and rough features—but there was a sense of authority about him that could almost be felt in the air. More than any of the carvings or light or flashing gems, this dwarf was what commanded the room. Here was the source of all forebodings felt within these walls. There was real power with this dwarf.

Teek was brought before the dais and then unceremoniously dropped. “Kneel and bow yer head before the king,” the dwarf with the eye patch boomed.

Without the tiniest thought of resistance, Teek did as he was commanded even going so far as to prostrate himself full out on the floor.

A soft but firm voice glided down from the throne above giving Teek a chill. “Usually I don’t be wastin’ me time with matters like this. But, because of the nature of the crime, I be makin’ an exception. Ye be charged with theft of a royal article, which may be punishable by death so choose ye words carefully. How do ye plead?”

Teek looked up slowly at the piercing blue eyes glaring down at him. He immediately thought of a raptor ready to take down its prey. Teek stammered. “Your M-m-majesty, I haven’t stolen anything, Highness. There must be some mistake, Your Grace.”

The king hammered his fist into the arm of the throne. “Do ye be callin’ me and me men a liar then?” he hissed.

“N-n-no, Your Greatness. I-I really don’t even know what it is I was s-s-supposed to have stolen, Exalted One.”

A dagger suddenly stuck into the stone floor in front of Teek’s face making him jerk away in surprise. “M-m-my dagger.”

“Yer dagger?” the king’s voice boomed through the hall. “That dagger be havin’ the mark of the royal seal of Axegrinder and belongs to me son, the high prince. So, the question be, how be it that ye have it?”

“It was a gift from my mother, Sire. She got it from a dwarf named Helgar years ago when she was on an appeasing journey for my twin brother. She gave it to me before I came on my appeasing journey for my friend, Twee. Please, Your Lordship, I have never stolen anything in my life, especially from dwarfs.”

The king scratched his long beard and then pulled at it. His dark face didn’t reveal anything as to whether he believed Teek’s story or not. Finally he spoke again, his voice controlled but still lethal. Teek knew his life teetered on the edge. “Ye be a Waseeni then?”

“Y-y-yes, Master.”

“I have heard of yer appeasing journeys as ye call ‘em. But yer story about the dagger be soundin’ too much like a yarn fer wee lads. And, since we be havin’ no political ties with yer people it be against no treaty fer me to be takin’ yer head for thievin’.”

“B-b-b-but, Lord, I’m telling the truth!”

“Hold yer tongue!” the king snapped.

Teek cowered back, the guards stood as still as the stone pillars not having moved since the king started talking.

“It do be curious that ye know the name, Helgar. How came ye by that name and mind yer tongue boy, I be in no mood fer tales.”

Just then one of the large doors behind them opened and another dwarf entered flanked by two more of the black-leather clad guards. Without hesitation they quickly approached the dais and the king. The lead dwarf stepped in front of Teek leaving the two guards back with the others. Although most dwarfs looked alike to Teek, this one looked very much like the king. His hair and beard were a little bit shorter and he was obviously younger, but besides that they were almost identical. Unlike the rest of the dwarfs in the room, this one had a battleaxe and large hammer on either hip. He also had a dagger tucked into the back of his belt. The dagger caught Teek’s eye. It was exactly like the one still stuck in the stone floor in front of him.

“Father,” the intruder said without ceremony, “I must be speaking with ye this moment.”

“Ye be interruptin’ a trial, boy!” the king boomed, turning his steel gaze to the young dwarf.

“But, Father,” the intruding dwarf insisted, “this be requirin’ yer immediate attention.”

“And the theft of me son’s dagger be not?”

The young dwarf reached back and grabbed hold of the dagger behind his belt. “What be ye sayin’ da?” he said pulling the dagger free to show his father. “Me dagger be right here.”

“I know, boy,” the king replied. “I not be daft. I be talkin’ of the dagger ye lost those years back when ye and Bardolf went afield to Gildor. The dagger be found in the hands of this Waseeni caught on our borders, no doubt seekin’ more booty.” The king glared at Teek who had been following the conversation with interest and hope.

Could this be Helgar?

The king continued. “The dagger be right there.” He pointed to the blade still sticking out of the stone where he’d thrown it. His son looked a little perplexed. He looked strangely at Teek and then pulled the blade free from the stone. Turning it in his hand he compared it to his other one—a perfect match. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he looked back at Teek staring hard at his face. “Ye must be Teek,” he breathed and then smiled.

Teek nodded his head slowly. “And you are Helgar?”

“What be goin’ on here!” the king’s voice boomed. “Ye be knowin’ this boy?”

Teek wanted to shout, “I told you so,” but felt it better that Helgar explain it all.

Helgar turned slowly to his father, a sheepish look on his face. “I never really said that me dagger was stolen.”

The king threw up his hands and let out an exasperated breath. “I was jist about to take the head from this boy fer stealin’ yer dagger and now ye be tellin’ me he didn’t take it!”

“I gave it to his mother fer helpin’ me save Bardolf’s life.”

“What!” the king’s face fluctuated between the colors red and purple as he strained to contain the rage boiling inside him.

Helgar suddenly realized he had said too much and rushed on before his father could say anything else. “It was jist a scratch, Da. Nothin’ to be getting all troubled about.”

The king exploded. His fist came down so hard on his throne Teek was sure he must have broken his hand. “Nothin’ to be troubled about!”

“Now, Da, if ye’ll jist let me be explainin’.”

“Enough!” the king roared. “I have heard all I be carin’ to.” Turning to Teek’s guards he growled, “Untie the boy and get ‘im somethin’ to fill ‘is belly. He’ll be stayin’ here with us fer as long as he cares to make up fer bein’ treated unjustly.” The king glared at Helgar who just bowed and shrugged. “When ye be feelin’ more like yerself,” he continued, addressing Teek, “we’ll be talkin’ again to see if we can’t be helpin’ ye with this appeasin’ journey ye be on.”

“Thank you, Your Grace,” Teek squeaked.

Helgar looked at Teek questioningly. “Appeasing journey?”

But before Teek could answer, the guards had untied his hands and were whisking him away. Helgar stared after him as they left through the front doors this time and disappeared.

“Now, me son,” his father’s voice was cold and menacing, “let’s you and me be havin’ a little chat.”

Teek sat at the window staring out on the magnificent city below while waiting for his summons from the king. When they left the throne room he was taken into the deeper interiors of the palace where he was given over to a lady dwarf whose first look made her more frightening than the guards. In fact, the guards were very anxious to be rid of him and away from Headmistress Mudrin. She ran the whole staff for the palace and seemed rather put out to have to give up her precious time to coddle a palace guest as lowly as Teek. It was the first time Teek had seen a female dwarf and he could well see why they lived underground. Besides her ample bosom that seemed to gyrate with her every move, there was not much else that made it obvious that she wasn’t a man. Of course, she didn’t have as much facial hair, although there was a good amount in some places, and her nose was slightly smaller than the men, but her build was just as rock solid and stocky as any of the males he had seen thus far. Her eyes were a steel gray that flickered and cut when she was angry--which was almost always--her hair was long and red and was braided down her back past her tailbone and she wore a sturdy canvas dress that was drab and without ornament but clean and well kept.

With a snort she announced in a voice like stone rubbing against stone, “Come with me then, lad, and we’ll be cleanin’ that filth from yer body. I won’t be havin’ ye runnin’ about me palace and droppin’ dirt on me floors.”

The palace was like something out of a dream. Never in his life would Teek have imagined anything so grand and spectacular. It was all hewn right out of the mountain. Everything, except for the doors, was carved right into the rock. The floors were smooth and polished to a shine that reflected almost without blur anyone who walked on them. The walls were also smooth but not as polished and dotted with reliefs caved with exactness right into them depicting battles and stories of the dwarfs that must have made up their history. These were then inlaid with different types of rocks and gems giving the pictures magnificent color and life. The ceilings were also smooth and polished like the floor to reflect the light that shined from large white gems tucked right into the rock. The gems glowed giving the rock an almost warm feel making him forget that he was actually in the belly of a huge mountain. Occasionally, they passed a small alcove where a statue or depiction of nature had been carved out of the wall. Each had a single gem above it bathing it in soft light in a way that invited the passerby to pause and take it in. Many times, Headmistress Mudrin had to call Teek along and away from one of the works that fascinated him and seemed to demand his attention.

He was given a private room in the upper reaches of the palace where a bath had been drawn and a hearty meal set out to relieve his famished state. At first he had baulked at the bath when he found out that dwarfs bathe in cold water—something to do with toughening the hide he’d been told. But, Headmistress Mudrin was not going to leave until he cleaned himself, threatening to do the job herself if he didn’t get busy. It was less than a pleasurable event to be sure but he had to admit that he felt much better after the grime had been scrubbed from his body. When he emerged from his bath the Headmistress was gone, as was his loincloth, but a large fur robe had been left for him to keep him decent and warm. He also found the meal left behind which was a far cry from the slop he’d been given in the dungeon. Roasted mutton and warm bread with cooked onions and carrots on the side with a large draught of honey ale and a pitcher of water. He drained most of the pitcher of water with one long drink before setting upon the food as a man who was half starved—which he was. The ale he left alone after having a small taste that almost made his dinner come back up.

Now he sat and sleepily stared out at the wonders of the dwarf city. Like the palace, the whole city was carved out of the heart of the mountain. Every building had been chiseled and hewn from the rock into a magnificent form complete with the tiniest decorations all from the rock. The streets and squares had trees, flowers and grass growing in them in a spectacular mixing of mountain rock and living nature. The sunlight, that was quickly beginning to fade, was let in through large shafts cut up and out to the surface above. Some of the shafts had been cut at an angle so the light shone in and then reflected off the highly polished outer walls of the city. Others came in straight on top of trees or gardens or other areas to give a greater amount of direct light. A large underground river flowed out of the side of the right far wall of the city and cascaded down in a large waterfall to a channel that carried the water to the city and down many different satellite channels dotted with bridges. The roof of the city was covered high above in more white gems that were just beginning to sparkle against the torches now being lit in the city below mimicking the stars of night as the sun went down outside.

Teek sighed. Never would he have imagined such a place existed and that dwarfs were the makers of it. They were a rough and hardy lot of people to be sure but they were also great craftsmen with an eye for beauty.

Just then a knock came at the door and Headmistress Mudrin walked in with a torch in one hand and his loincloth draped over the other. Tossing the loincloth at him she commanded him to put it on and then went around the room lighting torches protruding from the walls before tossing her own torch into the fireplace lighting the dry wood stacked there. “Ye better be hurrying up and be putting that thing on. The king don’t like to be kept waitin’. Oh, and don’t ye be getting nothin’ on that thing. I spent half an hour personally scrubbin’ the grime from it.”

Teek quickly checked it still finding the medallion Twee had given him and then turned away from Headmistress Mudrin and slipped it on. Dropping the robe on the bed next to him he turned back to the Headmistress who had a slight grin on her face. “I’m ready.”

The Headmistress paused for a moment as if to say something and then just snorted and turned around and headed out the door. Teek followed without another word. She led him back the same way they had come earlier in the day and again Teek found himself drawn to the statues and carvings they past. As before, the Headmistress had to hurry him along even physically pulling him with her at times. Teek didn’t pay much attention to the direction they went being much too interested in the architecture of the palace and the beautiful carvings to care much about where they were going. It was, in fact, to his disappointment that they apparently reached their destination at a single door where the Headmistress knocked once and then physically pushed him inside quickly closing the door behind him as if he might try to run back out.

It was a small room compared to his room and the great hall where he had been tried and almost lost his life, but his hut at home would still have fit easily within it. A large fireplace took up most of the opposite wall and was obviously too large for the room should it be brought to full ignition. A small, cozy fire, winked in its mass seeming almost comical and out of place for such a huge area but giving off the right amount of heat to keep the room comfortable. Two large chairs with high backs made of polished marble were turned away from him and faced the fire but he couldn’t see from where he stood whether or not they were occupied. Nothing else was in the room. Even the walls lacked any ornament save for torches in sconces to either side pushing back the darkness.

“Ye have eaten then,” the low rumble of a voice rose from one of the marble chairs, “and be a bit more rested?”

Teek played nervously with his hands. “Y-yes, yes sir I am…that is, I have. I have eaten and am rested, sir. Thank ye…uh, you. Thank you, sir.”

There was a chuckle from the other chair and then Helgar poked his head around smiling at Teek. “No need to be so anxious me friend. There be no more reason to be fearin’ fer ye head no more.”

The king’s head popped around from the other chair a half scowl half grin playing on his face. “That be right, lad. The only head that need be fearin’ is that of me son fer not tellin’ me the whole truth at the start.”

“Yes, well,” Helgar quickly chimed in, “let’s not be borin’ our guest with that now, Da. I’m sure young Teek here would like to be on his way home, now wouldn’t ye lad?”

“Yes, I sure would mister Helgar, sir, but I still need to finish my appeasing journey.”

Helgar’s face clouded and his voice softened. “Might I be askin’ who ye be appeasin’?”

Teek was a little surprised by the question but felt no harm in revealing who it was he was on this journey for. “Why, it’s for Twee, my oldest and dearest friend. He was the oldest and greatest Waseeni to ever live. He was like a father to me.”

Helgar let out a heavy sigh of relief and smiled. “I don’t be meanin’ no disrespect to yer friend there, Teek. It was jist that I was worryin’ that it might be fer yer mother.” Helgar’s face reddened a bit taking on an almost whimsical look as he looked off at nothing. “She be a magnificent lady, she. You be seein’ that ye take good care o’ her.”

Teek was a little confused but nodded his agreement quickly. “Yes, sir, I sure will.”

The king cleared his throat loudly without any attempt at subtlety. “Now, if ye be finished with yer moonin’ eyes over this boy’s mother, I suggest ye be givin’ him the gifts and let him get some more rest.”

Teek looked at the king in shock. “Gifts?”

Helgar flashed his father a look that seemed caught in between surprise and annoyance before nodding his head and rising from his chair. He quickly maneuvered his stocky frame between the two thrones and stopped in front of Teek. Reaching back behind him, Helgar pulled a dagger from his belt and presented it to Teek. “This, I believe, belongs to you.” It was the dagger his mother had given him.

Teek was awestruck, his hand moving forward to take the blade before suddenly jerking back. He looked past Helgar to the king and then swallowing hard looked back at Helgar. “Maybe it would be better if I just left the dagger with you. It seems to have gotten me nothing but trouble lately.”

The king roared from his chair. “Nonsense, boy. Me son gave it to yer mother and she gave it to you. There be nothin’ to be fearin’ no more from the dwarfs over it. Not now,” he added with poorly concealed ire, “that we be knowin’ from where it came.”

“Right,” Helgar agreed, smiling weakly.

Teek reached over and took the dagger from Helgar. It seemed such a plain thing now to have caused him so much trouble and grief. He slid it easily back through the tie around his loincloth where it had always been since the first time his mother had given it to him. It felt right there at his hip—like it belonged there.

“And,” Helgar continued, “as a token of friendship and no ill will, we also present ye with this to put an end to yer journey and get ye back home to yer mum.”

Teek’s mouth gaped in disbelief at the size of the diamond Helgar was now holding out in front of him. “I couldn’t,” he breathed. “It’s too much. I really couldn’t accept such a gift.”

Helgar chuckled. “That be about the same thing yer mother told me when I gave her the dagger and a stone to go with it. But it really be nothin’ more than a trinket. We be findin’ them all the time in our mines.

Teek found his hand moving forward and taking the large gem. “It would indeed make a suitable gift for Twee’s appeasing journey.”

Helgar chuckled. “Yep, ye be much like yer mother.”

The king suddenly appeared next to Helgar. With his eyes entranced by the diamond, Teek had not seen the king get up. He quickly bowed. “Your royalness.”

The king laughed. Not a bubbling laugh, more like stone crashing into stone, but a laugh still the same. “That be enough o’ yer grovelin’ boy. We did ye a misdeed that I hope be mended over now?” he asked with one eyebrow raised.

Teek just nodded.

“Great!” the king bellowed. “Then ye be off now to yer bed and get some rest. Helgar will escort ye out of the city in the mornin’ and put ye back on yer way home. Now, we have important things to discuss, lad. So let yerself out the door and Mudrin will be seein’ ye back to yer room.”

It was all Teek could do not to fall all over himself with bows and thank yous as he backed up toward the door and hurried out. As promised, Mudrin was there waiting for him, a deep scowl creasing her face.