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OFAS	By : Redgecco Category: -Multi-Age > General Views: 963 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Lord of the Rings (and associated) book series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
Title: Of Fire and Stars (Part 3a)
Author: Gecco
Rating: R (for extreme violence and disturbing imagery)
Warning: If you got a weak stomach, then read with caution.
Archive: you want it, you got it.
Disclaimer: I�m not making any profit from this. With the exception of some original characters, Gimli and all the other characters belong to J.R.R. Tolkien (who�s probably spinning in his grave as we speak).
Summary: We find out what happened to Gimli during the year while Thorin�s company were away on their Quest. Takes place during �The Hobbit�, don�t like Dwarves or Gimli? Then don�t read this fic.
Notes: This is Book-version, not Movie-version. And thank you, to those lovely people that reviewed this piece of crap fic ~_^. And another BIG thank you to Miss Amidia, for beta-ing and pointing out some major probs. Thank you!

More Note: Now re-beta read by the lovely Little My!

~~~
Dead Eyes
~~~

It was several long moments before any of the five bodies began to stir.
Gimli lay sprawled on his back, just trying to get his wind back after having it knocked out of him on impact. Slowly he became aware of a painful compression around his neck and the feeling of sharp stones digging into the tender skin of his back.
As his breath returned he carefully blinked open his eyes. The light at first made them water and squint, but slowly they adjusted and he found himself staring into a beautiful blue sky. For a few moments he let himself drift in that cloudless afternoon sky-- blues, light-blues, deep-blues, a veritable feast of color for one who had been living in a world of darkness.
With a groan Gimli finally forced himself to look away from that sky and roll over onto his stomach before levering himself slowly up onto his knees. The thick collar cut painfully into the side of his neck and the underside of his jaw. He could now see that the chain connecting the four was taut, still hooked on the jagged rock sticking out of the incline.
But just as he was going to crawl over and unhook it, Svior moved to do just that, causing instant relief as the chain went slack. With Gimli�s neck now free to move he looked to the others, seeing that they too were all alive and relatively in one piece.
�Feels like Dori tried to pull off my head,� grumbled Ulfr, as he crawled slowly up to kneel next to Gimli. �You okay?� he asked, rubbing the skin under his collar.
�No,� Gimli grumbled tiredly, rubbing his own neck. �You?� he asked back, looking at the soot-covered figure now sitting beside him, but Ulfr just gave a shrug.
�The others! What about the others!?� cried Nidi, snapping their attention back to the mine entrance from which they had escaped.
Their dire situation came crashing back down on them like a heavy rockslide, and the four could only watch in silent shock as the flames continued to spew angrily from the mine�s blackened entrance. The faces of friends and enemies alike flashed in rapid succession through their minds. Their stomachs twisted in dread at the thought of those faces. Knowing they were still down there, in the mine�burning.
�By Mahal! They were all down there: Anar, Buri, Veig--- everyone,� said Ulfr in a hoarse whisper. Kneeling frozen beside him, Gimli couldn�t even bring himself to speak as he watched the dancing fire. He felt numb.
None of the four noticed as Hanar climbed slowly up the incline behind them.
�Do you think any�� Ulfr let his question trail quietly off, realizing the futility of it.
�They�re dead,� Hanar said simply from behind them. The four slowly tore their gazes from the roaring flames to look at the grizzled old Dwarf.
�No! My father! The others! May- maybe some escaped, like us! Right�right?� Nidi pleaded to Hanar, before looking desperately at the others for some hope. Ulfr looked down, unable to bear the agonized expression in Nidi�s glassy honey-brown eyes, while Gimli sadly shook his head.
�Nidi, they were all in the pony alcove, they couldn�t have gotten out,� Svior said softly.
�No! There�s a chance-- the north entrance!
�They�re dead! Poor bastards never knew what hit them. Incinerated, they were,� Hanar said gravely. He looked down at the four young Dwarves sitting in front of him, watching him with wide eyes. �Take comfort in that! It was probably instantaneous.� He snapped his thick fingers for emphasis.
�What are we to do now?� Ulfr asked, voicing the question on all their minds.
�We can be of no assistance to the dead, but we may still be of some use to the living!� Hanar barked sharply at them. He turned his attention to Nidi, who now had his face buried in Svior�s neck while the black-eyed Dwarf rubbed his back, trying to comfort him. Nidi was the only one out of the five that still had family. Hanar had no children and his mate had been dead for eight winters now; Svior still had some family, but they all lived in Ered Luin. Ulfr had been an orphan since he was thirty-two, and Gimli�s only remaining family were on the quest to take back Erebor.
�Nidi, nothing can be done for your father, but think of your mother and brother-- there may still be a chance to save them,� Hanar continued, sympathy shining in his dark eyes. Aside from that, he made no move to comfort the shaking Dwarf in Svior�s arms.
The old Dwarf then looked to the other three. Being the oldest they were looking to him for guidance and leadership, taking a deep breath, Hanar gave them one piece of advice that had seen him through hardships in the past.
�Remember you must be alive to grieve. Grieve later, for now we must fight and survive!� And with that he turned and climbed down the incline again, stopping to wait for them on the gray road.
Gimli, followed by Ulfr, quickly got to his feet. Svior slowly tugged a now quiet Nidi up before they both climbed down the incline with the others to join Hanar, their chains clinking merrily as they moved.
�Hanar�s right, we have to help Lady Hildr, Shala, and the others!� Gimli urged, a new determination coming into his eyes.
�What about the rest of the orcs?� Svior said, eager to make their escape.
�With luck, most of the beasts were down in the mine when it blew. But that still leaves the ones guarding the town and the others,� Gimli said as he tried unsuccessfully to rub off some of the black soot on his muscular arms. Ulfr was doing the same but also without success; the five dwarves had been down in the mine so long, the coal soot had worked itself into their skin. Only a long soak and a rough scrubbing could get rid of it, so until then the five would have to remain pitch black.
�Not to mention, those two guards must already be at the Hollow by now, sounding the alarm,� Ulfr pointed out, resting his elbow casually on Gimli�s shoulder.
�Which means we should be long gone before they come and check it out for themselves,� Svior said. Nidi stood quietly beside him chewing on his thumbnail, not paying attention.
�We just have to get out of this whole area. With all the coal veins running through here and the fire going, this whole area is unstable,� Ulfr said, as he scanned the gray rocky landscape around them.
�Okay, so we free the hostages, kill all the goblins we can find. Then grab some supplies, and make for Shiprock,� Gimli said confidently, looking at the other four, eager to get going. Ulfr nodded his agreement with Gimli�s plan, Hanar was busy thinking, not really paying attention to what was being said, Nidi was still chewing on his nail, and Svior looked at Gimli as if he had suddenly sprouted a new head.
�Did something jar loose in your head?!� Svior said in disbelief. Gimli raised an irritated eyebrow.
�There are only five of us!� Svior continued.
Gimli was now glaring at Svior. �So?�
�So!? We are still chained together!� Svior snapped back, picking up a length of their connecting chain and shaking it in Gimli�s face. Gimli knocked his hand away with a warning growl before Svior dropped it in disgust.
�We�ll find something to break the chai-� But Svior cut Gimli off, looking as if he were on the verge of attacking him.
�We don�t even have weapons! Not even our tools! What in Mordor are we suppose to use?!� Svior yelled in frustration.
�I don�t know, a rock or something!� Ulfr snapped back at Svior, irritated by the shouting.
Svior gave a growl of frustration. Their already frayed nerves were dangerously close to snapping, but neither Hanar nor Nidi seemed to notice the rising tempers as the three squared off.
�We have to get out of here! There�s nothing we can do! We�ll go to Shiprock, get help-�
�The others will be dead by then!� Gimli snapped, shaking off Ulfr�s hand.
�If we go into that town it will be suicide!� Svior growled back, going into a fighting stance.
�We can�t abandon them! And only a coward would run off without trying to save them!� Gimli growled right back, fists clenched as he too adopted a fighting stance.
"Only a stupid, empty-headed fool would kill himself for a useless cause!!"

�Svior? Do you think Nidi�s going to walk away with you, when there�s still a chance to save his mother and brother?� Ulfr asked in Svior in a surprisingly calm voice, motioning to the silent figure at Svior�s side with a jerk of his chin.
Svior slowly looked at the quiet, light brown-eyed Dwarf next to him for several long moments. Then with a tired sigh, he dropped his stance and rubbed at his eyes with one broad hand. Svior knew the answer. No one said anything for a time, then Hanar finally looked up and spoke.
�Gimli, where are your axes?� he asked.
Gimli looked up from watching Nidi chew on his now bleeding nail.
�I hid them along with my earnings on the old barn�s roof, where no one can see them,� he answered before reaching out and knocking Nidi�s hand away. �Stop it,� he ordered, but Nidi only gave him a blank look.
�Leave him alone,� Svior hissed at Gimli. Stepping protectively closer to Nidi who had started to chew on his nail again, Svior gently took hold of Nidi's hand and pulled it away from his mouth, clasping it firmly in his own.
�What about you Ulfr, Svior? Where are your swords?� Hanar asked, stroking his beard in thought as he tried to devise a plan of rescue and escape.
�My sword is with Gimli�s axes,� answered Ulfr, as he tried unsuccessfully to finger-comb his tangled and filthy hair. Unable to do anything with his own he started to mess with Gimli�s hair, before Gimli smacked his hands away in annoyance.
�Mine�s under the floorboards in the store house, behind the tavern, along with my travel pack.� Svior said.
�Nidi, what about your knife? Nidi? Nidi!� Not getting a response Hanar reached over and gave the young Dwarf�s shoulder a hard shake. This seemed to work, for Nidi blinked a few times and seemed wake up and become aware of his surroundings again.
�Wha-what?� he asked, first looking at Svior who still held his hand, blinking in confusion before realizing it was Hanar who had spoken.
�Your knife, where�s your knife?� demanded Hanar, his temper growing short.
�Th- the orcs took it before they put me and Father in chains,� he answered, unconsciously reaching up to touch the collar still around his neck. Nidi was surprisingly good with a knife even with his lack of �warrior-spirit�. Nidi�s father was a tanner by trade, specializing in leather goods from belts and wrist-guards to saddles and tack. Nidi was learning the trade, so he and his family were some of the few Dwarves who worked in town instead of in the mine.
�Damn, you�ll just have to use one of mine,� the old Dwarf grumbled to himself, as he glared at the chain still connecting the four soot-covered Dwarves. Still stroking his beard in deep thought, he looked over the entire length of chain before stopping to examine a particular link between Svior and Gimli. The four fidgeted as they waited for Hanar to tell them his plans, the fire still roaring behind them. Finally Ulfr just couldn�t take the silence any longer.
�Come! What is your plan, Ancient One? We are just a bit pressed for time!� he urged flippantly.
Hanar looked up and speared the amber-eyed Dwarf with a withering glare, but Ulfr only rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath that caused Gimli to give a snort of amusement, being the only one to hear it.
�Shut up, whelp! Both of you,� Hanar snapped, now glaring at both Ulfr and Gimli. �First thing we have to do is get rid of this, before we can do anything else.� He picked up the length of chain between Gimli and Svior, then bent down and took a small metal file out of his boot. The others watched in surprise, each wondering how the old Dwarf had managed to hide it, for the goblins had been incredibly thorough, embarrassingly so, when they had checked the prisoners for weapons and the like. Hanar said nothing (one did not live as long as he had without learning some sleight of hand) and quickly filed at one particular link in the chain. When he had finished he looked up and motioned to the others.
�Gimli, Svior, twist the chain until you can�t anymore. Twist it hard!� he ordered. Gimli and Svior quickly did as they were told and twisted the chain, each in a different direction. �Nidi, Ulfr, grab hold. Now, pull!� Hanar stepped back as the young Dwarves pulled with all their might.
�Put your backs into it!�
For several long moments it looked like a strange game of tug-of-war--Gimli and Ulfr on one side, Svior and Nidi on the other, groaning with effort as the rough metal chain dug into their bare hands. The gravel scraped and slid under their booted feet as they tried to gain traction.
�Pull! That�s it, lads, pull!�
Then with a squeal of metal and a resonating �clink�, the thick chain broke, causing them to stumble back before regaining their balance. Now they understood why Hanar had been glaring so intently at the chain before; he had been looking for weak spots. The four were now free-- they still unfortunately wore the heavy iron collars but at least they could now move independently of one another.
�Finally free of that damned chain!� Svior said in relief, giving the broken chain a kick for good measure. Nidi next to him nodded in agreement as he rubbed his sore hands.
�Agreed-- now I can finally get away from your stink!� Gimli joked, as he gave Ulfr a playful push away from him.
Ulfr only laughed and chucked a few pieces of gravel at Gimli, ducking as Gimli returned fire. Then they both finally wandered over and gave the broken chain a hard look.
�Maybe we should keep it..." Ulfr paused, seeing the other's incredulous looks, then continued with a wicked grin, "...so we can shove it up Rowell�s arse when we see him.�
�Maybe shove a couple of orcs up there as well,� suggested Gimli with a smirk of his own, as he scratched under his thick collar.
�I-I say we gut him like the traitorous swine he is!� said Nidi, then looked a bit shocked at his own outburst.
�That�s the spirit, Nidi!� Ulfr crowed, giving Nidi a friendly whack on the back, and the others nodded and voiced their whole-hearted agreement with Nidi�s idea.
Hanar just shook his head, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth on the good side of his face. He said nothing, slipping the small file back in his boot as he watched the pitch-black figures in front of him. The whites around their eyes and their flashing teeth were startling, making them look a touch demonic.
�Alright, lads!� Hanar said, getting their attention again. He motioned for them to come closer and they formed a small circle, listening intently as he spoke.
�Here�s the plan, lads. We sneak into town and when we get to the coal sheds, we split up. Gimli, Ulfr, get your weapons and any traveling supplies you've got. Meet us behind the tavern as soon as you can-- avoid any skirmishes with the goblins. We need to keep the element of surprise as long as we can,� he ordered, watching as Gimli and Ulfr each gave a sharp nod of understanding, then turned his attention to the other two. �Svior, you and Nidi will come with me. Now come, we must hurry! Rowell could be killing the hostages as we speak!�
With that last dreadful sentence they broke the circle and hurried back towards Black Hollow, Hanar leading with the other four right at his heels.
~~~

Staying off the main road and ducking behind any cover they found along the way, the five cautiously made their way back to town.
As they got closer to the Hollow they began to see more evidence of the town�s orc infestation; broken dishes and bottles, torn clothes, destroyed carts, and even two dead goblins (killed by their fellow goblins in a petty squabble). But worst of all was the occasional carcass, mangled usually to the point of being unidentifiable, most crawling with maggots. Like the remains littering the floor of the upper tunnels in the mine, Gimli noticed (and wished he hadn�t) that most of the rotting carcasses looked as if they had been fed on.
When they finally reached the town the sun had started to make its descent, and Gimli guessed they only had about two hours of light left. Strangely enough, they hadn�t run into any orcs on the road (except for the dead ones), and even now as they hid in the shadow of one of the coal sheds they still hadn�t seen any orcs or any of Rowell�s Men yet. If they didn�t know better they would have thought the town was abandoned.
But as Gimli�s mother used to say: �Just because you can�t see a goblin, doesn�t mean it�s not there'.
Gimli also figured that most of the goblins were probably holed up in some dark place, waiting for the sun to go down. It was common knowledge that goblins didn�t like the daylight, preferring the cover of darkness.
Hanar motioned that it was time to split up. Gimli gave a nod, then getting the �all clear� sign from Ulfr who was looking around the corner of the shed, darted off in the direction of the old barn with Ulfr at his heels. Hanar and the others went the opposite way towards the tavern.
As Gimli and Ulfr made their way cautiously to the barn, they could see the evidence of the Goblins' destructive occupation of the town. All the gray stone buildings were damaged in some way; most had gaping holes in the walls, doors hanging off their hinges or gone altogether, and smashed windows. Some showed signs of having been burned, and they even passed a building that had completely collapsed into a pile of rubble. The two also had to be careful where they stepped-- refuse and other debris littered the ground, from broken bottles to bodily wastes (needless to say orcs and goblins aren�t the cleanest of creatures). But still they saw no orcs, even though the creatures' foul reek hung heavy in the still air.
�I don�t understand-- this place should be swarming with orcs,� Ulfr signed to Gimli as the two squatted behind a half knocked-down wall. They had switched back to Iglishmek, deciding not to take any chances of being overheard.
�I agree, something�s wrong,� Gimli signed, scanning the empty street with narrowed eyes, looking for any movement. Seeing none the two quickly darted to another hiding spot, all the while suspiciously looking about.
They finally reached the barn that they had once called home, without incident. Silently they slunk to the side of the barn where the empty rain-barrels were usually stacked; they had used the barrels in the past to climb up to the roof. But as they got there, they saw that they had all been broken into and smashed. Luckily for them, they had other means of getting onto the roof.
Jabbing his thumb upwards, Gimli signed for Ulfr to give him a boost up. Ulfr nodded, then putting his back to the barn wall, he laced his broad hands together for Gimli to step into. With a hop and a push, Gimli pulled himself onto the roof. He then reached an arm down to the amber-eyed Dwarf below, and with a jump Ulfr grabbed hold and pulled himself up with Gimli�s help.
And none to soon, for just as Ulfr pulled himself over, a goblin walked around the corner below them. The two on the roof froze, watching the creature sniff around suspiciously where just moments before they had been standing. Another goblin soon appeared and walked up to the other one.
�What?� it snapped in a scratchy voice.
�Heard somethin' *sniff, sniff* but can�t smell nothin�- �cept coal *sniff*,� the first goblin hissed, looking around in suspicion while the second one started to sniff the air as well.
Only moving their eyes, the two Dwarves on the roof looked at one another, both coming to the same realization. Not only did the coal-dust cover them from head to toe, staining them completely black, it was apparently masking their scent as well.
The two goblins continued to sniff around, when suddenly a large gray-skinned orc stomped around the corner. It was snarling something under its breath as it yanked a dirty ringed shirt of chain mail over its scaly head, a large rusty (and probably very dull) scimitar hanging on a belt at its side. The two goblins froze and began to cower at the sight of the orc.
Gimli�s jaw dropped as he caught sight of a large pair of breasts before the mail shirt covered the Orc's bare chest.

�It�s a female?! By Gandalf�s beard! A female orc!! he thought in absolute shock, still not quite grasping the concept of what was right in front of his eyes. He had always believed the stories that said all orcs were male, and that orcs and goblins were formed from disgusting and rotting things brought to life by dark magic wielded by some evil hand.
She was hideous; just as ugly and twisted as all the other orcs and goblins he had ever seen. Unlike the obvious differences between male and female Dwarves or male and female Humans, Gimli could see no difference between the sexes of the three creatures below him, now that the chain mail hid the female�s chest.
Gimli felt queasy, finding the idea of male and female orcs and more importantly, orc children, very disturbing. Orc and goblin families. He didn�t like those thoughts. Gimli didn�t want to think of them as people instead of a bunch of faceless monsters; after all he had suffered at their clawed hands, his vengeance wouldn�t allow it.
The image came to him of his family�s old caravan, the wagons burning as orcs leapt about in glee, destroying everything they could, killing any they caught trying to escape.
Daira�s bloodied and mangled body, his limbs scattered about the forest floor. The hollow feeling in his gut as he and his mother searched and picked up those heavy limbs and bits of flesh, so the crows and other scavengers wouldn�t get them.
No, they weren�t people! Just monsters�monsters that should be exterminated!! His turbulent thoughts were interrupted as the new arrival below spoke in a loud grating voice.
�What ya� doin� ere!? I told all youz ta� get over to the mine!� the female orc bellowed, spittle flying as she stomped over and punched the first goblin right in the face. With a shriek and a crunch, the goblin went flying back, landing heavily several feet away, unmoving. She then turned her attention to the second one, who was now cowering submissively at her feet.
�We'z 'eard somethin'! We'z just checkin', then we'z go to the mine, like youz say!� the second goblin whined, groveling before her.
Seeing this, her thin rubbery lips pulled back from her rotting black and yellowed teeth into a nasty smile of pleasure. Deciding that she liked the way the goblin looked cowering at her feet, she would not rip off his face, just yet. Grabbing it by its greasy hair she started to drag it away, the goblin squealing the entire way as it scrambled on its hands and knees to keep up.
�Told youz, puss face! I�mz in charge while Illzog�z gone!� she screeched, giving the goblin a couple of hard shakes for emphasis as she stormed away in the direction of the mine. Gimli and Ulfr could now see other orcs and goblins appear out of various shadowed hiding spaces to trail groggily behind the large female as she continued to rant, keeping their distance in case she decided to grab one of them.
�I stuck with all youz shit-for-brainz, toadzs! Can�t waits for Illzog back, back with lots of loot and meat! Then we eats White-Cloak and take all his gold! Where'z he at anyway? Not seenz 'im or other meat. Where'z he at?!� she demanded, giving the squealing goblin in her grasp a vicious shaking.
Whatever else she said, the two on the roof weren�t able to hear or understand as she disappeared out of sight and their hearing range. The other goblins and orcs trailed quietly behind her before they too disappeared.
Ulfr and Gimli waited a few more moments before they both relaxed with a sigh. Looking out in the direction the orcs had gone, Gimli could see a large column of black smoke in the distance where he knew the mine was located. From their vantage point Gimli could also see that a large sink hole had opened up on the north side of the destroyed town, and he knew it was only a matter of time before more sink holes appeared, but he hoped they�d all be long gone by then. The two eroded mountains stood guard to the north and south on either side of the town. The Blue Mountain range stretched off into the distance as the sun slowly sank in the west, painting everything orange and red.
�Damn, now that was one ugly bitch! Hold up now� Gimli! I think I found you a new woman! Once you get past the smell and the rotting teeth, I�m sure she�s a lovely girl!� Ulfr snickered, laughing at the completely disgusted look on his friend�s face.
�Shut your face, Ulfr!� Gimli hissed, punching the laughing amber-eyed Dwarf in the shoulder. �I�d rather burn off my beard and stab out my own eyes!� He grimaced in disgust-- the very thought of it made him want to vomit. Ulfr only laughed harder as he rubbed his sore shoulder.
Giving the amused Ulfr a �glare of death�, Gimli got up and walked carefully over to a locked wooden chest. It was sitting towards the center of the roof, well out of sight from anyone on the ground.
Both he and Ulfr had decided that the roof was a perfect place to hide their valuables� after all, no one would ever think to look up for a Dwarf�s stash, knowing how ground-oriented Dwarves are.
Ulfr joined him by the chest, his laughter now under control. Gimli no longer had the key for the lock (having lost it in the mine when a particularly ill-tempered orc had decided that he needed a lesson about not insulting his captors), so with a strong kick from his booted foot, he knocked a hole in the side of the chest. Once the hole was made, both he and Ulfr began to break and pry the thick wooden chest apart with their strong hands. In a matter of seconds the chest was completely destroyed, revealing a large leather-wrapped bundle inside.
Quickly unwrapping the bundle, Gimli revealed Ulfr�s sword with its creeping vine pattern etched on the blade, both his and Ulfr�s money pouches and his three beloved axes. Each axe had its own unique pattern, their clean crescent blades shining red in the light.
Gimli paused as he reached for his axes; it was obviously a trick of the light but for a second he could have sworn they looked covered in blood, red blood. He had a sudden strong sense of deja vuÈ, giving a quick shake of his head he pushed the image out of his mind.
Picking the three blades up he gave each a reverent kiss as an almost giddy feeling fluttered in his stomach. Now he felt whole again! Look out, orcs, Gimli son of Gloin is coming for you! he thought, as he put the double-bladed axe down before standing up and doing some swings and blocks with his twin axes, one in each hand.
The axes felt like extensions of himself, each perfectly balanced. Their heavy weight gave him a sense of comfort, always reminding him of those who had used them before him: his Mother, his Grandfather, his Great-Grandmother, and all the warriors before them, and now they were his to wield. Ulfr too took a couple of practice swings with his sword, fighting some invisible opponent, and for few moments one might have thought the two soot-covered figures were dancing in the red glow of the sinking sun.
�I think I hear some orc throats begging to be cut!� Ulfr said, as they both finally came to a stop in a defensive position.
�Then let�s not keep them waiting!� Gimli replied, standing in a rather artful looking defense pose called the �dragon�s shield�.
Ulfr reached into the leather bundle and handed Gimli his thick weapons belt before picking up his own, buckling it around his waist and slipping his sword into its sheath at his side. Gimli did the same, buckling his belt tight about his hips before attaching Blood Screamer, his double-bladed battle axe, to the back of his belt, then his two single-bladed axes, Fire Reaper and Star Smasher to his side holsters at his hips. After putting their money purses into a pouch on their belts and buckling it closed, Ulfr noticed something in the distance.
�Gimli, look!� he said, pointing to the west where a cloud of black smoke rose in the valley beyond.
�That�s coming from Shiprock,� Gimli said in a low voice as they both watched, knowing what that black cloud of smoke meant. The town in the valley was burning. Both their hearts dropped a little further at the sight.
�I�ll bet my right ball that�s where that Illzog and the rest of the orcs are,� Ulfr said with a growl. �And I�ll bet this Illzog is that Goblin chief Rowell�s been bending over for. Remember what the orc bitch said: �White-Cloak�� that could only be Rowell.�
�It sounds like Rowell�s pulled one of his disappearing acts again, too,� Gimli said, taking out his two axes.
�Probably took the gold and ran, the two-faced snake,� Ulfr spat, drawing his sword from its sheath.
�With most of the orcs on a raiding party at Shiprock and probably most of the other ones dead in the mine, �tis the perfect time for us to rescue Shala and the others. Come, let us make haste!� Gimli urged, taking notice of the fading light.
Trotting back to the roof�s edge they both looked down, making sure the coast was clear, but they only saw the first goblin still lying on the ground, unmoving. A big grin split Gimli�s face, and with both axes in hand he walked a little further along the roof�s edge before stopping right above where the Goblin lay. Then he jumped off.
Gimli heard the satisfying snap of bones as his full weight crushed the goblin�s ribcage under his feet on impact. He quickly hopped off the body, then Ulfr landed with a slight crunch and more of a squishing sound.
�You broke him before I could have a proper bounce! Hrumpf!� Ulfr joked with mock disappointment.
�We�ll just have to find you a new one,� Gimli suggested, a wicked gleam in his eye.
Gimli then looked at the goblin�s face and felt a pang of disappointment; it had been dead before they had used it to land on. Its beak-like nose had been smashed into its face, the bones piercing its brain. Needless to say, the orc wench had a killer punch. Ulfr gave a grudging whistle, impressed, as he looked over Gimli's shoulder.
�Come on!� Ulfr said, giving Gimli�s shoulder a shake before he started off carefully in the direction of the tavern. Gimli jogged behind him, axes at the ready. The two disappeared between a few gray buildings, leaving the old barn they used to call home and the dead (and now much more worse-for-wear) goblin behind.
~~~~
Gimli and Ulfr could now see the front of the tavern (one of the only two-story buildings in Black Hollow), but just as they were going to dart across the gravel road, they threw themselves back against the wall of the building they were hiding behind.
Peeking around the corner they could see a thin goblin with a bow creeping quietly around the building. Its head was cocked at an angle and its sharply pointed ears were twitching, obviously listening to something as it made its way slowly to the back of the tavern. Gimli realized that it was probably hearing Hanar, Svior and Nidi, who were no doubt already there waiting for Ulfr and him.
Gimli motioned for Ulfr to be quiet before darting as silently as he could across the road to the front of the tavern, Ulfr following a few moments later. Then as noiselessly as possible, Gimli snuck after the goblin who still hadn�t noticed him� or so he thought.
For in truth the goblin had heard them, but luck was with the two young Dwarves this time. The goblin was paying more attention to the sound of hushed talking and movement coming from behind the taveren, and it had assumed since it was obvious whoever it was coming up behind him was armed and trying to keep quiet, it was two orcs or fellow goblins come to check out the same sound he had heard. It was a mistake that would cost him.
Gimli was feeling quite proud of the fact that both he and Ulfr had managed to sneak up on the bow-carrying Goblin without it even noticing them. He was about three feet from the goblin�s back when the creature carefully looked around the corner at the rear of the building before stepping back. Gimli and Ulfr were struck dumb when the goblin raised a hand, signaling for them to hold their position. Iit then held up three clawed fingers signaling that it saw three targets around the corner.
The goblin felt a tap on its shoulder, and it turned to snarl an insult at the Orc behind him.
�Wha-� Except it wasn�t an orc or a fellow goblin. It was two, short, pitch-black creatures, with glittering eyes and gleaming white teeth. Then the world suddenly tilted, and the ground came rushing up to meet it.
It had a momentary clear view of the two creatures� feet before something heavy fell on him, blocking his view. Its last thoughts were the realization that its body had fallen on its own severed head.
Gimli looked down at the decapitated body at his feet with a raised eyebrow before glancing at Ulfr, who just gave a shrug. Gimli calmly bent down and wiped the blood from his left axe on the goblin�s stained tunic. Both he and Ulfr made sure to step on the body as they made for the edge of the building before turning the corner.
And walked right into a nightmare�

~~~

The smell hit them full force, and they almost stumbled back with its strength, gagging. The stench of rotting flesh made them light-headed, and a small part of Gimli wondered how they could not have noticed it before.
Hanar quickly turned their way, startled, a big double-sided battle axe clutched in both hands, before realizing it was them. They could see Svior sitting on the ground, trying desperately to hold on to and keep quiet a now completely hysterical Nidi, who was alternating between screaming and pulling at his hair.
Scattered all about the ground were the women and children�or what was left of them.
Bodies were everywhere, strewn about like garbage. The dying light of the setting sun painted everything blood red, and a distant part of Gimli�s mind thought it strangely appropriate.
The depths of Rowell�s treachery and greed were now revealed in all its horrible glory. Their rage and sorrow knew no bounds. They were disgusted with what lay before them and at themselves, bitter at their own naivety, angry that they had clung to so false a hope. It had all been for naught; they had slaved and suffered in the depths of the mine for a false promise, given by a serpent-tongued traitor. Should they have expected anything less? Now everyone was gone, everyone was dead, Black Hollow was dead.
All the bodies showed signs of having been fed on, many with visible bite marks on them, some completely stripped of flesh. Severed limbs were everywhere. Some of the bodies were festering, having been dead for weeks, crawling with maggots like the carcasses on the road, but others looked fairly fresh only a day or two old at the most.
It was then that Gimli noticed that he was standing on something and with dread in his heart he forced himself to look down and moved his left foot. It revealed a small child�s hand, bitten off at the wrist� a small Dwarf child�s hand.
Seeing the hand was too much for Ulfr; his sword dropped with a clatter as he fell to his knees and started to retch, so hard he was almost choking with the force of it. Gimli saw Svior turn to them with an accusatory look, but Nidi took no notice, still in the throes of grief. Hanar just looked at them with unreadable eyes, and to Gimli the Dwarf looked suddenly very old, brittle, even with the large axe clutched in his hand. Just a weak old Dwarf at the end of his years.
As for Gimli, his emotions were all fighting for dominance� rage, despair and hopelessness all burned inside of him. He walked slowly over to Svior and Nidi, and as he reached them he could now see the remains of Nidi�s mother. From the horrible condition of her body, Gimli could tell that she went down fighting hard.
�Nothing grows around here� the coal--- there�s so much of it. It�s like a poison, killing anything that grows, leaving everything gray, desolate. Not much game. The supplies and food the coal wagons brought back weren�t enough�not for so many. They couldn�t eat too many of the workers, needed them to mine the coal. So they ate the hostages,� Hanar said in a strange monotone, speaking more to himself than to the other four. Gimli just listened as he gazed at the nightmare scene in front of him, his axes still clutched tightly in both his hands, feeling completely useless.
Looking closer he could now identify some of the other bodies. An arm with a coiled snake tattoo� Farin�s wife. A decapitated head with a long thick braid of brown and silver streaked hair, tied off with a strip of red leather� Lady Hildr. The head and upper torso of a raven-haired young woman, her hair parted into two plaits. Shala, Myia�s older sister, mother of three and a dear friend.
Gimli remembered how she would always cook extra when she made cinnamon tarts, knowing that he loved them, always asking how his Da was doing. Constantly clucking and worrying that he and Ulfr weren�t eating enough, gently scolding Myia for not acting like a �proper� lady, or mothering even the crankiest old Dwarf if given the chance. She was a kind soul and everyone adored her.
She didn�t deserve this.
Many a night one could find Shala, her little ones, her husband Leon, Myia, Gimli, Ulfr and their friends having dinner or just laughing and joking at the small table in their home. Talking about their dreams to get out of Black Hollow and start better lives somewhere else. Shala wanted to start up a bakery, or maybe an inn of her own in a town somewhere.
I guess some things were never meant to be, Gimli thought sadly.

Slowly he carefully stepped over a few bodies before coming to kneel at Shala�s side, her gray eyes staring dully at nothing.
�I�m sorry, Shala, I was too late�forgive me.� he whispered softly, putting one of his axes down before reaching out to gently close her eyes. Standing up again, he looked around for her three children� the least he could do was put them beside her, he thought numbly. But after searching around the other bodies and still not finding them, he remembered that goblins prized the tender flesh of children, so there was probably nothing left of the three little ones.
Defeated, he walked back to where Ulfr was still kneeling, his retching over with, his face in his broad hands. The smell of bile stung Gimli�s nose as he stood silently next to the amber-eyed Dwarf, letting him know he was with him; it was the only comfort he could provide. Ulfr kept muttering to himself over and over again, �It was for nothing� nothing.�
Nidi had finally stopped screaming and flailing in Svior�s arms; now he was silent, staring into space as Svior whispered nonsense words of comfort in Khuzdul to him. Gimli thought there was a good chance that Nidi�s mind had broken, as he watched the limp Dwarf stare glassy-eyed at nothing.
�Just like Shala�s eyes� dead,� a small voice whispered at the back of his mind. Hanar slowly walked over to stand by Ulfr�s other side, and the old Dwarf kept rubbing at the scarred side of his face with one of his callused hands as if it ached, looking defeated. For long moments no one could bring themselves to say anything.
The light was almost gone now, the stars were already out, and hanging low in the sky was a red sickle moon.
�We have to get out of here�get to Shiprock.� Gimli almost jumped as Hanar spoke, at first not recognizing the unsteady voice.
�Can�t--- they�re already there,� Ulfr said shakily as he slowly got up. �Me and Gimli saw the smoke, overheard some orcs talking about it. Rowell�s gone, too.�
�The rest of the orcs are checking out the mine,� Gimli put in, his voice sounding strangely calm even to his own ears.
�We have to get out of here!� Svior hissed urgently from right behind them, and the three jumped at the Dwarf�s sudden appearance. None of them had noticed when he�d gotten up, coaxed Nidi to his feet and walked over to them. Nidi looked small and broken beside him, allowing himself to be led around by the taller Dwarf. �I told you, it was a mistake to come back here!�
�Don�t. I warn you, Svior,� Gimli said quietly, holding up a broad hand to stop any further words, a dangerous gleam in his eye. Svior just shot him a murderous glare and continued.
�This place is unstable, and �they�ll� be coming back! We must leave, now!� Svior demanded. In the fading light, his black eyes looked like deep holes, making him appear disturbingly hollow.
�And where will we go?!� Ulfr snapped, a strange look between anger and fear on his face.
�Who cares where we go!? As long as it is not here!� Gimli shouted, startling the others with his outburst. He could feel a cold rage growing in his heart; all the fear, despair, frustration and loss only fed the flames and he clutched the axes in his hands so tightly they ached. �We have come this far, let us not give up now! We must tell others of what has happened here. Then we find that traitor and avenge the dead!� Gimli demanded, looking at the others with fire burning in his eyes.
�Yes...yes, we must leave,� Hanar said, thinking furiously of where they could go, a trembling hand stroking his tangled beard. They couldn�t go to Turquoise Hill, knowing that their fellow Dwarves of the mining camp would go to the aid of the town of Shiprock and in turn share its fate. The town of Pine Falls had been abandoned for the last twenty years, Harlond was too far and they�d have to take the main road, and Dwarves were greatly unwelcome in Lindon. Damned Elves! Damn the orcs! Damned everything! Where could they go!? he thought desperately.
�What about Green Ridge?� suggested Svior, looking around nervously.

�The plague is there, remember?� Ulfr reminded him, not even looking up as he stared tiredly at the ground by his feet, his shoulders slumped.
�Too far anyway, and we�d pass too close to Shiprock,� Gimli said, shaking his head. He then clasped Ulfr�s shoulder, giving the amber-eyed Dwarf a searching look. Ulfr looked up at Gimli and nodded, indicating that he was okay, and Gimli gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze that was as much for himself as it was for Ulfr.
�We�ll go north-east to Telgor,� Hanar said, finally coming to a decision. He looked up at the four with commanding eyes, standing up straighter. Once again he was the Hanar they knew� the leader, strong and wise. �We�ll have to go through the old limestone quarry to save time and to avoid the road. It�s a good distance, but I see no other course. Ulfr, did you or Gimli bring any traveling supplies?�
�No, just what�s on our belts,� Ulfr said, shaking his head.
�I have my traveling pack, but not much in the way of food," Svior said.
�We�ll make do with what we have. Come, let us go before they return! For I have no intention of staying a moment longer in this accursed place to look for supplies!� Hanar said before turning to look at Svior. �What about Nidi? Can he keep up?� There was a hard look in his eyes and an underlying meaning in his words.
Svior visibly bristled at this, his teeth bared in a snarl, knowing exactly what Hanar meant. But before he could frame a retort, a soft voice spoke, causing them all to look in surprise at the smaller Dwarf at Svior�s side.
�Yes, I can keep up,� Nidi said quietly, looking up at the other four with a strange unreadable expression. The look in those honey-brown eyes made a shiver run up Gimli�s spine. Corpse eyes, he thought again silently to himself, and a quick glance to the left showed that Svior too was watching Nidi with obvious worry.
Hanar seemed a bit taken aback, but he quickly recovered. �Good�good,� he said, then reached for his belt and took out a large hunting knife. He handed it to Nidi, who accepted it with a small nod of thanks, but with an otherwise blank expression. �Now let us make haste!� the old Dwarf said, giving them all a once over before taking off at a run towards the north-east. The others followed right on his heels.
None looked back as they tried to get as far away from that gray desolate place as they could. Yet all five of them knew that no matter how far or fast they ran, they�d never outrun the ghosts of Black Hollow. They would no doubt haunt their nightmares forever.
~~~
The thin sickle moon hung high in the dark sky full of stars. In the gray rocky land below, five dark figures ran as fast as they could with only the light of those stars to guide their way.
They had been running non-stop at a good clip since fleeing Black Hollow, trying to put as much distance between them and the horrors of the dead town behind them. No one spoke; the only noise was the tread of their running feet, their heavy breathing, and their heartbeats pounding in their ears as they struggled to maintain their pace. They all knew they had to get to the quarry and the cover of the sparse forest that grew around it as soon as possible, for the rocky desolate land around the Hollow had little to no cover, leaving them vulnerably exposed. For once they were glad for the coal-dust that covered them, for in the dark they could hardly be seen, appearing as little more than shadows themselves (albeit noisy shadows).
Gimli ran beside Ulfr, both of them bringing up the rear with Svior and Nidi running in front of them. Surprisingly, Nidi was actually a little ahead of Svior, and Gimli noticed that unlike the rest of them who had put their weapons away to make running easier, Nidi still clutched Hanar�s knife in his right hand.
Leading the four was Hanar; the old Dwarf�s breathing was becoming ragged and he was starting to stumble. Gimli could tell that Hanar would not be able to maintain their speed for much longer.
They were now a good distance away from the Hollow; only the small brush and the occasional windswept tree dotted the landscape around them. The vegetation, though sparse, was becoming more common as they neared the quarry and the land beyond. But they still had a good way to go and they all knew it was only a matter of time before the orcs noticed their tracks.
Hanar knew he couldn�t go much further but he was determined to go as far as he could, pushing himself to keep on. He cursed to himself as he stumbled over another rock� exhaustion, hunger, and much as he hated to admit it, old age were catching up with him. The others, too, were having to fight to maintain their punishing pace; sore muscles combined with mental and physical exhaustion dragged at all of them.
After seeing Hanar stumble again Gimli knew they would have to decrease their speed soon. He was just about to call to the old Dwarf when a warning bell went off in his head.
With the skill of one who�s handled axes since he could crawl, both his axes were out and at the ready in the blink of an eye as he came to a skidding halt, scanning the darkness for danger. Hanar too must have felt it, for he suddenly stopped, his breath coming in loud pants as he took out his large axe. Ulfr and the others crowded around them, pulling out their own weapons. There they waited, listening with baited breath as their eyes quartered the dark landscape. Dwarves have excellent night vision, but they still couldn�t see nearly as well as a goblin could in the dark.They could all now hear movement in the distance, as several �somethings� ran at full tilt in the dark after them.
�Goblins?� Svior asked in a hushed whisper, his sword in both hands. Nidi stood next to him with his knife at the ready, that same blank look on his face.
�No, wargs!� Ulfr warned, pointing to their left, and the others whipped around to follow his arm.
In the darkness they could see two pairs of glowing red eyes in the distance, rushing over the desolate rocky landscape towards them. As if sensing they had been spotted, a blood curdling howl pierced the night air, making their hair rise on the backs of their necks.
�Shit! They�ll bring the goblins right to us!!� Gimli cursed, stepping forward to confront the two large shadows racing towards them. Gimli hated wargs almost as much as orcs. Wargs looked like large twisted wolves, and like wolves they traveled in packs, but like noble and shy wolves they were not. As Gimli watched the two come closer, a small nagging thought kept tugging at the back of his mind. Wargs travel in packs�packs. I only see two�
Ulfr stepped up next to Gimli, yet far enough away to not have to worry about any of Gimli�s swings hitting him by accident. His sword was in hand as he got into a fighting stance. The other three stood nearby, weapons at the ready, watching the two wargs get closer, their mottled gray fur and snapping jaws now visible by the starlight above.
�There�s only two! We can take them, easy!� Ulfr said, confidence in his voice.
But when the wargs got within six yards they suddenly veered to the side, running back into the darkness.
�Ha! We scared them off!� Ulfr crowed, watching as the two ran away. Gimli heard a sigh of relief from one of the three behind him, but something wasn�t right� he could feel it. His eyes widened as an old memory of something his father had once told him when he was younger struck him like a bolt of lighting.
�It�s the warg you don�t see, that will be the one that rips out your throat,� Gloin said seriously to the copper-haired five-year-old, who watched with big eyes as Gloin made a clawed slashing motion across his neck to demonstrate.
The two wargs were a distraction! came the sudden realization.
Gimli whipped around as fast as he could to warn the others.
�Behind us!� he yelled, just as three large wargs, seemingly from nowhere, attacked them from behind. These were large wargs, the smallest being the size of pony.
Everything turned to chaos then� growls, bellows and the swinging of weapons filled the night air as the five Dwarves fought for their lives. The two original wargs came back to join the fray, making it five against five..
One of the wargs let out a gargling, yelping sound as Svior managed to thrust his sword between its ribs, piecing its lung. Nidi darted in close, slashing its throat before jabbing his knife into its eye, killing it.
A warg�s head went flying, the jaws still snapping, spraying hot blood everywhere as Hanar�s axe chopped it from its still bucking body.
A dark grey warg, the size of a small horse and obviously the alpha of the pack, lunged for Ulfr. The amber-eyed Dwarf was just barely quick enough to throw himself out of the way of its snapping jaws. Seeing its prey had escaped for the moment, it turned its sights to a different target. But unfortunately for Ulfr, to avoid one warg he had thrown himself into the path of another.
With a murderous growl the new warg sprang at him, and Ulfr brought his short sword to bear, slashing it in the neck. It gave a yelp, but quickly recovered to lunge for him again. This time he slashed it under the jaw and followed up with a hard thrust deep into its shoulder, causing the warg�s leg to buckle under it. Unfortunately the beast was too close for Ulf to get out of the way. Using its one good front limb the warg lunged low catching the Dwarf�s leg and knocking him off his feet.
Ulfr let out a yell of pain as the warg�s vice-like jaws clamped onto his leg. He stabbed and slashed desperately at the creature, trying to get it to let go, but the warg refused to die� it just bit harder into the flesh of his leg, causing him to cry again. The others were too busy dispatching the other wargs to help, but Hanar was able to quickly come to his aid. With two powerful swings of the old Dwarf�s axe, the warg was decapitated. Hissing in pain Ulfr (with Hanar�s help) then proceeded to try and pry the mouth open to release his badly bleeding leg. Hanar finally had to chop off the warg�s lower jaw to free Ulfr�s leg.
Gimli had just dispatched one of the other snarling beasts, lopping its front legs out from under it and severing its spinal cord with a blow to its back. Hearing Ulfr cry out, he was about to go to the aid of his friend when he caught movement in the corner of his eye, alerting him just in time to sidestep the alpha warg�s attack.
With a speed that would have impressed even an Elf, Gimli used his momentum to pivot and bring both axes up to slash deep gashes into the warg�s side as it passed. It gave a howl of rage and pain then came around for another attack, its teeth gnashing, ears back, piercing red eyes blazing with murderous intent.
As it lunged at him, Gimli swung his right axe into a hard block, knocking the beast�s large head aside with the weight of the blow. He then followed through with the left axe, bringing it down for a killing blow to the neck.
But the warg�s head swung around unexpectedly, recovering faster then Gimli had calculated. Instead of the axe splitting the warg�s neck open, it landed with a sickening *thunk* in the right side of the warg�s face, from cheek to eye.
The warg gave a blood-curdling howl as blood spurted everywhere. But as fate would have it, the thick bones of its face didn�t break under the force the Dwarf�s powerful swing. Instead for a horrible few moments the axe was stuck, lodged in the thrashing creature�s face.
Gimli held on furiously to his axe, unwilling to let go, his teeth bared in determination. He could smell a copper tang in the air as a hot shower of blood fell on him, and he strained to not let go. Using his still free right axe, he swung it back, sinking it into the warg�s thick chest as hard as he could before ripping it back out for another swing.
With what could only be described as a scream, the warg raised up onto its back legs, thrashing madly back and forth and nearly lifting Gimli right off of his feet. Then the axe dislodged with a wet scraping sound and the Warg bolted, leaping away to disappear back into the darkness, yowling in agony.
Gimli watched it go, its pained cries ringing in his ears, and a part of him took great pleasure in the sound. Inspecting his left axe for damage, he noticed a bloody mass of ball-like flesh stuck to its blade. On closer examination, he saw that it was the remains of the warg�s right eye. Other than that and being covered in blood, the axe was in perfect shape.
With a disdainful curl of his lip Gimli flicked it off the blade, hearing it land with a wet squish a few feet away, before he turned and quickly made his way to Ulfr�s side where the others were gathered.
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