Gerig and the Kingdom of Dwarfs

1. The Lonely Struggle

    Her name was Alyssa. She was not born into privilege but was a lady who managed to keep a status higher than the common peasant or farm hand. Her father was a freeman, a higher class of citizenship that allowed him to keep more of their land's crops while also retaining the right to move to other parts of the kingdom when certain areas were suffering from drought. Alyssa's father earned his freeman status through decades of hard work and quality crops that pleased both the Barons and the Monarch. He was allowed to have first choice of the available lands because the people above him wanted the best people working with the crops in the hopes that their supplies would be plentiful and of substance. It often resulted in foods one would be courageous enough to deem worthy of being consumed by a King.

    Most townships had barons, but this one did not. Her father crops were grown less than fifty miles from the King himself and this allowed Alyssa and her mother than chance to use some of their crop to barter for some goods that would help them through the harsh winters the great sea off the kingdom's coast was known to administer on their lands from time to time. They always loved going into town to get some odds and ends, but never did they ever think that such a trip would save their lives. One morning, when Alyssa and her mother were trading for supplies within the king's market when something horrible happened. Alyssa and her mother were looking at some small wild stock that would compliment their farm when they both watched in horror as the guards closed the main gates, trapping them and hundreds of other civilians within its walls for as long as the guards deemed necessary. The castle was under attack, and the gates remained closed until the opposing forces either retreated or were successfully repelled.

    Some of the Barons had been unsatisfied with the King's share of the wealth and they tried to take his life and his kingdom with an army that took years to build and only months to repel. The rebellion was not without merit, the King was known for being a tad to tight with the purse strings, and never gave anyone their fair shake, only just enough to keep them in line and under control. Amongst the fighting were countless atrocities that devastated the townships and many families. Caught up in the middle of countless battles, many women along with Alyssa had been captured and impregnated without consent. Ashamed of her child that was created out of wedlock and in sin, her father cast her out of the family to fend for herself.

    Unwilling to punish herself or her child for something that was no fault of her own, Alyssa took up a job as a farm hand and earned her keep as long as she could until the day she gave birth. She was given a strong boy, a man she named Gerig. He was born into a time that was complicated and against him from the very beginning. He was a citizen of Gosland, a southern kingdom located on the south coast of the great sea. Ripe with farmland, and many peasants to work on them, the nobles and monarch lived a very good life for themselves, basking on the fruits of everyone else's labour. This was the kind of life that Gerig had to look forward to, as he was far from noble birth and like her mother an outcast that was looked down upon. Gerig would grow up watching his mother break her back to earn the small room they shared called home, but when he got old enough to work the fields, Gerig worked harder and got more done than any three men on the fields combined.

    When he reached of a certain age, Gerig was able to earn a spot of land that he tended to for the monarch. Only men were capable of getting a grant to work on a piece of land, so his mother wasn't able to secure anything for them until Gerig was of age. Usually they wouldn't give a farmhand his own land, but the barons were confident that giving Gerig his own lands would produce great fields and foods for the monarch. In return for his services, both Gerig and his mother were allowed to build a house on the land and keep fifteen percent of their crops for their own personal consumption. Everything else was King's property and was to be finished and delivered to the state's supply depots before the end of the season. Any failure to do so would result in a small regiment of soldiers tossing you off the King's land. They would never show up until the first snow fall either, so that both you and your family would freeze out in the cold until you gave in and allowed the monarch to take what they wanted. While to some it didn't seem fair, Gerig and his mother were happy to have a home of their own and a chance to prosper together as a family.

    Two winters after working his own fields, Gerig lost his mother to illness. He buried her behind the house they built together and no one had even noticed that she had disappeared. Gerig was alone.

2. Caught In A Trap

    After his mother passed away, Gerig found it a little more difficult to carry on alone. Yet like his mother when faced with difficult times, he refused to let the intolerance of the town defeat him. Gerig continued to plant his crops, and hunt for game to make a very valuable contribution to his ungrateful keepers. Yet deep down, Gerig knew that someday his work would be appreciated. It wasn't until a bright summer day that Gerig would eventually get his wish.

    Late one afternoon, Gerig was in the forest checking his traps when he came upon a net that had been sprung. Hoping that it was a deer or a boar, Gerig raced up to the net only to discover that a child that had accidentally sprung the trap instead. The little guy struggled to free himself but it was no use, Gerig's nets were rather strong to the point where large animals couldn't break loose. As Gerig approached the net, he began to notice that this was not a child trapped in his net. Unaware of what he was dealing with, Gerig unsheathed his dagger and slowly approached the net. Just before Gerig grabbed the net to get a closer look, the little man within it freaked out. He tried to frail and fight his way out of the net but after a few minutes, he started to settle down. Gerig could hear the little guy let out a huge sigh as he realized that his efforts were futile and he wasn't going anywhere.

    "Are you finished yet?" Gerig asked.

    "Not nearly enough." the little man huffed back in frustration. "I can't believe that I got myself caught up in this mess of rope and twine."

    Gerig finally got a good look at the little man, only to become more confused. The little man couldn't have been anymore than three feet tall, yet he had a full beard and seemed to be married as he had a decent yet dull looking ring on his left hand. He had never seen anything like it, and was kind of at a loss for words.

    "What on earth are you?" Gerig asked.

]    The little man in the net couldn't believe what he was hearing and he let out a little laugh that could have been mistaken for a squealing pig,
 
   "What am I?" he repeated, as he could hardly believe it. "I'm a dwarf!"
 
   "A dwarf?" Gerig repeated. He couldn't believe what he was hearing but he had no choice to believe his own eyes. "What in Gosland are you doing
out here?"

    "I was trying to travel to another village," the dwarf answered "To trade something off to a few of the merchants."

    "You have villages?" Gerig asked.

    "Yes, we do." the dwarf replied, "Where do you think we live, in caves?"

    "I don't know where dwarfs live." Gerig confessed, "You're the first one I've ever met."

    "Oh, that's just lovely." The little man said as he took a seat on the ground. He looked back at the tall man that was still staring at him. "Well, are you going to let me out?"

    "I guess so." Gerig said as he used his dagger to cut down the trap. As he did so, the dwarf fell to the group softly but still had trouble getting back to his feet, "Is there something wrong?"

    "Yes, lad." The dwarf said as he started to inspect his left leg, "I think my ankle is broken."

    "I'm sorry about that." Gerig said, assuming his net might be to blame for the dwarf's injuries.

    "No need for apologies," the little guy said, "It was broken before I got here. I fell into a river and hit it against a rather large rock. My lack of concentration because of all that pain might be the reason why I never saw your net."

    "Perhaps it was just well hidden." Gerig gloated.

    "I guess," the dwarf conceded, "But what I need right now is somewhere to hide before I become the main attraction of some kingdom's freak show." The dwarf said as he tried to walk, but could barely put any weight down on the broken leg. He tried to hobble a few feet, but it was no use a he feel down and grit his teeth in pain.

    "Let me help you," Gerig said as he lifted the dwarf up into his arms, "You can stay at my place. It's the least I can do."

    "Thanks, lad." the dwarf said gratefully, "What's your name?"

    "I'm Gerig. And you?"

   "I'm Merrec."

3. Taking Shelter

    Despite the dwarf's weight, Gerig had little trouble carrying the dwarf back to his house. He let the dwarf use his mother's old bed, and did what he could to tend to the poor man's broken ankle. He even killed an extra chicken to make sure there was enough food for the both of them that night. He boiled the chickens up with a variety of vegetables in a large pot for them both to eat that night. It wasn't until halfway through their warm meal that his guest finally said something.

    "Thank you," Marrec said with a smile as he took a sip of the warm broth that the chicken had boiled in.

    "For the food?" Gerig assumed.

    "That, and for the fact that you haven't told anyone about me." the dwarf answered, "The last time a dwarf was captured, he was sold off to one of the kingdoms to be shown in freak show to amuse children and monarchs. When he managed to finally escape, he was never the same after that. Now he sits in a pub and says nothing. As I hung there in your net, I was afraid that I would suffer the same fate; in captivity, far away from my wife and kids."

    "How many kids do you have?" Gerig asked.

    "Five of them and each one is as good looking as their mother. I didn't know if I was ever going to see them again." Marrec said as he began to chew on a chicken leg. He looked down at his leg. "I still don't know if I will."

    "Well you don't have to worry about me. I live alone and the only time someone visits is to collect the crop at the end of the season." Gerig said as he sipped away at his hot broth. "But the longer you do stay here, the greater your chances of being discovered increases."

    "I can't walk. What options do I have?" the dwarf asked.

    "You actually have two options." Gerig replied, "You can stay here with me and take your chances, or you can let me carry you back to wherever you came from. That way I can just drop you off and be on my way back here."

    Marrec paused for a second and pondered over the choices he had been offered. "I can show you the way to my home, but if you know where our village was, my people would be afraid to let you leave. They can't take the chance of you telling anyone else where we live. If you were to take me home, there is a chance you'd never be allowed to come back."

    It was now Gerig's turn to ponder over a few options. He had a good home, but there was no one to share it with. The town never really liked him and Gerig knew that if he disappeared the next day, no one would really miss him. He also felt responsible for the dwarf and wanted to make sure he was taken care of.

    "I'm willing to take that risk." Gerig informed the little man, "But we'll have to wait a month before we depart."

    "Any particular reason why?" the dwarf asked.

    "The crop." Gerig answered. "The harvest is next month. If the monarch discovers that I have left my crops unattended, they will hunt me down and toss me into the dungeon. If I finish my crop, after the monarch has taken its share no one will come back until after the winter."

    "In other words," Marrec said, as he was cluing in. "No one will realize you've disappeared until next spring."

    "Exactly." Gerig agreed. "By then we will be long gone."

     "A risky plan, since I have to stay here a month." Marrec replied, "But I like your thinking. This course of action has the greatest chance of success."

    "That will give us our best chance to make the trek successfully." Gerig said, "Autumn is also the best season to make this walk as it's too hot right now to carry the cart myself. Right now the best thing for your ankle is rest. So stay out of sight and rest up and I'll tend to my chores."

    "I can't thank you enough for your trouble." Marrec said as he wiped his furry chin with his sleeve, "I won't forget it.

    "Don't worry about it." Gerig said as he tossed the little guy a blanket, "Try to relax and get some sleep."

4. Making Stew

    The next morning Gerig went back to work as if nothing happened. For the first time since his mother passed away, he locked the front door to his cabin and took the key with him, to protect the dwarf and at least give him time to hide should someone come over for a surprise visit. Gerig also left a note on the door stating that he was out on the fields, another thing he hadn't done since his mother was alive. Not only had Gerig wanted to finish his crops to prevent the monarch from suspecting his departure, he also wanted to use his own share of the crops to feed himself and the dwarf for what he assumed was going to be a very long journey. Gerig was planning to take his cart and fill it with the dwarf, supplies and some items that he could live without just in case his departure was permanent and he would never return. Because the horses were the property of the monarch, they were collected whenever the harvest was finished, which mean Gerig would be the one pulling the cart himself, something he had done before when the horses went ill one year but that was nothing compared to the journey he was planning to make. Gerig also set up more traps, eager to catch more wild game because he was allowed to keep everything that he captured. More meat for the journey would make it a little easier, he thought to himself as he set the traps up.

    When Gerig returned to the cabin after a long day in the fields and the forests, Marrec was not only hopping around on one foot, but was working to make his own keep around the house, much like Gerig's mother did before her passing. He had tidied up the cabin as much as he could, and even had something cooking over the fire, something the man didn't recognize.

    "What is that?" Gerig asked as he looked over it.

    "It's a stew." The dwarf said as he walked over and threw some chopped carrots into it. "You've never heard of a stew?"

    "No, I haven't." Gerig said as he looked into the bowl of hot water. "You put some of the meat in here too?" he asked as he stirred the spoon around.

    "Trust me lad." The dwarf said as he tried to reassure the confused man. "The meats and vegetables will infuse flavors and make for one very tasty meal. This is also a good one to eat on cold days like today. It sticks to your belly and keeps you warm."

    "It looks like a soup." Gerig said as he stirred it with a big spoon.

    "It's like a soup, but it gets thicker and more filling because I let it reduce with constant heat." Marrec said as he took the spoon away from Gerig to prevent him from spoiling his appetite. "This is my wife's recipe. I think you'll like it."

    "The first time I didn't have to cook in a while, so you'll get no argument from me." Gerig said as he walked over to the other side of the cabin and took a seat in his favorite chair.

    "How long has it been just you here?" Marrec asked.

    "A few years." Gerig answered, "Since my mother passed away."

    "Sorry to hear that." Marrec said as he tended to his stew. "Losing a parent can be hard on a person."

    "Especially when that person is the only one you have." Gerig added as he relaxed deeper into his chair. "I never knew my father. It was just us as far back as I can remember."

    "I see." Marrec said as he finally poured some of he stew into a small bowl. The small dwarf tore a peace of bread off a loaf and hobbled over to serve his new friend. "Here ya go, lad. Give that spot a try."

    Gerig took the bowl and tried to thickened soup. He looked back up at the small man with a shock on his face. "This is really good!" he said while stuffing another spoon full into his mouth.

    "I do it no justice. If we make it, me wife will make a bowl that will change the way you look at food forever." Marrec said, beaming with pride.

    "I look forward to giving it a try." Gerig slurped back.

    "As to do I." Marrec agreed as he looked out the window.

    Their journey wasn't going to be a pleasant one, but the man in the small house with him was his only hope to ever getting home and seeing his loved ones again. He had no choice to trust this peasant, who seemed to be a loner in a village that really didn't have too many. The young man was his only hope or he might be the next little man to be tormented, ridiculed into insanity. Marrec sat down on a small stool and tried not to think of it. The harvest was almost done, they would be leaving soon.

5. The Messenger

    Over the next few days, Gerig realized that the only way he could safely carry Marrec back home would be to use a small wagon. This was convenient for Gerig because it would allow him to bring a few of his personal belongs with him in case he didn't return. Gerig didn't have a horse or pony, so it was up to him to pull the cart the entire trip. He adjusted the harness to make it easier for him to pull without having to hold onto the arms that much. Gerig didn't pack too much anyway so compared to the plow that he pushed every year to harvest his fields, the cart was actually very light. He was a strong man and had very broad shoulders, so he was confident he would be able to make the trip without hurting himself. With Marrec comfortably secure and hidden away from sight, Gerig was able to start their journey to take his new friend home. The lord's men had taken their share of the crops and all the horses back the day before and Gerig didn't even bother to barter for a better deal. He put up a small fight and gave in easily, letting them have whatever they wanted. Gerig had a feeling he was only going to need enough supplies to make it to town.

    It was the first time Gerig had ever wandered away from the only village he had known. He had lived there his whole life but he accepted his meeting with Marrec as fate. Someone or something was telling him that it was time to move on and helping the little dwarf back seemed like the right way to start over. All Gerig left behind was a town that never liked him and never really wanted him there to begin with. He didn't know where this journey would lead him, but anywhere at the moment seemed a lot better than the place he was leaving behind. Half way through the day, about several hours into the trip, Gerig needed to rest. The first few steps were a little tough, as he walked away from the cabin in the tall grass. Once he made it to the road, the cart didn't put up as much of a fight and he was able to travel with ease. When the sun was above his head, Gerig picked a quiet and very isolated spot off the road so that Marrec could get a little air and something to eat.

    "So what did you do in that village?" Marrec asked as he started to nibble on something.

    "I was just another farmer, raising crops for a Lord who didn't appreciate or even know who I am." Gerig said as he poured the little man a glass of water. "I basically earned my way through back breaking labor. Originally, I wanted to travel to one of the kingdoms to become a Knight, to serve our King."

    "You are a strong and compassionate chap." Marrec said with a grin. "I have seen many knights who would pale in comparison to your strength and character. You would make a very noble and distinguished Knight."

    "I might have." Gerig concurred, "But I can't. The King and the Church only allow men of legitimate birth to serve as protectors of the monarch."

    "I don't understand what that means." Marrec confessed.

    "Bastards are not allowed to become Knights." Gerig said as he seemed a little ashamed. "I'm only good enough to break the land that makes their food."

    "I see." Marrec said as he felt bad for bringing it up, "You have a good heart and a brave soul. It's their loss lad."

    "Thanks." Gerig said as he stood back up. "We need to keep going. I want to cover a few more leagues before nightfall."

    "Alright." Marrec hopped over to the cart and tucked himself back into his little hiding place. Once ready, Gerig picked the arms of the cart back up and was on his way. He went back to the road and because of the cool fall weather his walk was a lot more pleasant than it could have been. The sweet breeze kissed Gerig's brow and prevented the sweat from rolling down and into his eyes, which made the next few hours not as back breaking as it could have been much to Gerig's appreciation to whomever was responsible for it. Yet he had a small scare a short while later when someone almost knocked his cart over. He was walking close to the side but someone riding a horse came scrambling out of nowhere, almost running into Gerig and his cart. The horse stopped and jumped up in defiance of Gerig's presence, but the big man responded by dropping the cart to have it fall forward and grabbing the horses reigns and dragging him across to the other side of the road. There was no one on the horse, which lead Gerig to believe it was spooked and ran away from its master. Gerig was going to take this as good fortune and strap him to the cart but seconds later he could hear someone calling from a distance.

    "That's my horse!" he called out. "Stop right there!"

    "I'm not stealing him." Gerig called out. "I just stopped him from running over my cart." When the man arrived, Gerig was more than happy to hand the reigns over, knowing the man must have been frantically running after it for some time. "Here had go, sir. Please try to be more careful next time."

    "You have no idea what you have done." The man said as he climbed back onto his mount. "I carry a very urgent letter for the King. You have saved me a lot of time by helping me with my mount." He looked around and then back at Gerig with a confused look. "Where is your horse?"

    "I don't have one." Gerig confessed.

    "Then who is pulling your cart?" he asked.

    "I am." Gerig confessed. "It's not that heavy."

    "How far are you going to pull it?" the rider inquired. 

    "As far as I need to." He cryptically answered.

    "Such strength." He complimented. "We could use chaps like you in our ranks. I am in a hurry but should we ever met again, we'll continue this discussion over mead and give it serious consideration."

    "I look forward to that." Gerig said as he let go of the reigns. "Farewell."

    "To you as well my friend." The rider said and with a quick kick of his feet, the horse thundered away down the road.

    "Who was that?" Marrec said as he finally stuck his head out.

    "No one really important." Gerig said as he walked back to the cart.

    "Alright," Marrec said as he looked over. "How much longer do you want to go today?"

    "I'll keep going till I get tired." Marrec confessed. "That way I'll sleep better and we'll get as far as we can. You get as much sleep as you can in the meantime because you'll be on first watch tonight."

    "I'll do my best." Marrec huffed as he hid back under the tarp.

    Gerig picked the cart back up and started to walk down the long and winding road. Walking towards whatever fate had in store for him, but at the moment Gerig could live with just getting to Marrec's town and dealing with everything else later. He kept walking while he still had light to work with, knowing that it might take days, maybe weeks to get to wherever he was going.

6. Merrec Comes Home

    A distance Gerig thought might take weeks only took a little over eight days to accomplish. He traveled down the roads and paths that Marrec had instructed him to follow. According to the dwarf, they need to travel a specific way to prevent people from following them to what was a secret and very private place. Gerig was beginning to question when or if they would ever make it to their destination. They needed to get there soon, as the supply of food he had packed ran out two days before, and both of them had been living off of black berries and water since then. Gerig has just crossed a small creek when he came up to what looked like a rather large hill that looked steep. Gerig took a deep breath and dropped his cart with a thud as he couldn't imagine nor wanted to scale any kind of mountain with his cart. Once the cart was set down, Marrec stuck his head out.

"Where are we?" he asked wondering why he was set down so roughly.

    "We're at a mountain!" Gerig growled as his frustration evident, "You never said anything about traveling over a mountain!"

    "That's because we don't have to lad." Marrec chucked, "What we are looking for now is a cave."

    "I thought you said you didn't live in caves?" Gerig quickly said.

    "We don't." Marrec replied, "The cave is like a door that protects our home from the outside world. Yes, it is a cave but we live on the other side of it, not in it. And if I'm not mistaken, it's somewhere to the left of us."

    Gerig picked the cart and started to walk down the side of the hill, looking for this cave. As he started to pass by a rather large part of the mountain that was covered by moss and trees, several dwarfs suddenly all jumped out of nowhere. They were armed with spears and shields and surrounded the cart rather quickly. They all didn't look too friendly as they started to poke Gerig with their tiny spears, trying to scare him off. Gerig took a spear away from one of the dwarfs who was poking him in the side and pushed him away. He didn't appreciate the little guys bothering him like that, but since he was at least three and half feet taller than all of them, he could only imagine how intimidating he looked to them all.

    One the dwarfs spoke after he rudely poked Gerig in the leg. "What are you doing here, you filthy grump?" the dwarf snapped at him in perfect English.

    "What the hell is a grump?" Gerig asked as he looked around as the number of troops that surrounded him had swelled to a full dozen.

    "You are, Gerig." Marrec said as he tossed aside the blanket and finally revealed himself to the other dwarfs. "Tell your men to put those things away, Taran. This grump is with me." he said to the dwarfs in a language that Gerig was not able to understand. Since he could not make out the words that any of the dwarfs were spitting out in grunts and hums, Gerig decided to stand there and wait for them to talk things out.

    "Marrec!" the other dwarfs said shocked, "We were beginning to worry about you. What the hell are you doing here with this grump?"

    "This grump saved my life, Taran." Marrec replied, "So the least we could do is to stop poking him with your spears. He's my friend." 

    Upon hearing that statement, the other dwarfs dropped their spears, which was something Gerig took that as a good sign.

    "What are you doing up there? Get down here and tell us where you've been!" Taran said as he extended a hand out to his friend.

    "I can't." Marrec said as he declined, "My foot is broken and I can't walk. Let this man in so he can carry me home."

    "You know the rules, Marrec." Taran said in a harsh tone, "You could be fined for letting a grump in the cave, and he will never be allowed to leave."

    "I know that and so does he." Marrec replied angrily, "Just let us in."

    "Alright." Taran said as he barked a command to the other dwarfs. They stepped aside and revealed the cave Gerig had been looking for.

    Gerig picked the cart back up and slowly walked into the small cave, taking his time to make sure he didn't trip up on his way in. As he was slowly pulling to cart through the dark cave, he couldn't resist the urge to ask a few questions, "Marrec?"

    "Yes lad." The dwarf replied.

    "I am not going to get you in trouble, am I?" Gerig asked.

    "Not really," Merric answered, "I had some schillings saved up to fix me roof, but I think the kids and wife can put up with the fine rather than have me away from home forever. Besides, you won't be the first grump to ever enter our homeland."

    "Really? How many are there?" he excitedly asked.

    "Only three," Merrec replied, "They've been here for a long time though. The old man and his wife are at least fifty."

    "Is that the normal natural life around here?" Gerig asked, somewhat intrigued by the idea of living that long.

    "No lad. Our average lifespan is close to a hundred years. If you take care of yourself, I have no doubt you might reach that age as well."

    Before he could ask another question, Gerig spotted a faint light. A few steps later, he emerged from the other side into not a small village that he had assumed was their destination. Instead, it was a kingdom. There had to be close to a thousand homes and in the center of it was what looked like a massive castle by dwarf standards but was no bigger than the shack he left behind. What amazed Gerig the most was the fact that the kingdom seemed to sit in the middle of the mountain but the mountain's ceiling was gone, which allowed the sun shine in. He looked behind the cart to realize that the mountain was a hallow wall that was no more than twenty feet thick

    "What happened to the top of the mountain?" Gerig asked.

    "There never was a top to this mountain. What you saw outside was an mirage, an illusion to keep strangers away from the city." Marrec explained as he began to point out instructions to where Gerig could find his house. 

    Gerig started to pull the cart down the small dirt road and past rows of houses as they began to pull closer to Marrec's house. He also had to watch his step as hundreds if not thousands of dwarfs of all sizes had begun to come out of their homes to see what was going on. Most of them were looking up at Gerig, obviously shocked to see someone so tall. He felt like a giant. Except for what seemed to look like a castle, none of the houses managed to reach his shoulders and a very tall grump walking through out the streets was difficult for the town's people not to notice. For the first time since they had met, Gerig was now the one who felt like the stranger. Gerig suddenly understood why Marrec was so nervous about being discovered in his village. All the eyes were on him as he walked slowly through the labyrinth of houses.

    "Marrec, is that where the King lives?" Gerig asked, gesturing to the large house in the center of the city. 

    Marrec laughed, "No lad. That is the house where the other grumps like you live. Obviously their house is going to be rather large compared to the average home. Also, we don't have a King. Instead we have a Chief, and he lives in small house like the rest of us.

    A few moments later, Marrec was able to point out a specific house, and within a few minutes Gerig was finally able to set the cart down as they had finally arrived. The door never opened, but Gerig politely tapped on the front door with a single knuckle so that he wouldn't damage the small door. A small lady slowly opened the door. She was a simple woman who was obviously very nervous and likely scared as she had no idea know why someone like Gerig was knocking on her door.

    "Can I help you?" she asked with a soft voice, trying to be a polite as she possibly could.

    "I have something for you." Gerig said with a smile as he walked back to the cart.

    He lifted Marrec out and carried him over to the house, softly setting him down near the door. When his wife finally realized what was going on, she rushed out the door and embraced Marrec and started to cry uncontrollably. Gerig knew from this reaction that the lady was obviously his wife. A few seconds later, about several children about half of Marrec's height came scrambling out of the house to join in on the hugs and celebration. Pretty soon, the area was packed with people when they discovered what had happened. Marrec had come home and the tall grump had helped him overcome what was a very difficult situation. It would have taken the dwarf months to walk home with the injury he had sustained. With Gerig's help, it only took a little more than a week.

7. Meeting Alyssa

    Even though everyone was scared and nervous around him, the chief was so impressed with Gerig's heroism that he quickly accepted him into the city's collective. What he had done for Marrec was no small feat, especially since he had to make the sacrifice to never return home now that he knew the location of the Dwarven kingdom. Marrec was still forced to pay a fine for bringing a grump into the kingdom but he was more than happy to. The little guy didn't have to worry about the roof anyway as Gerig said he would have no trouble patching it up. He didn't even need a latter to see what he was doing. He had brought his own tools and would have no problem fixing every hole in the roof in a matter of only a few days.

    Later that night, Gerig parked his cart in a grassy field beside that was near Marrec's house and beside his massive crop fields. It turns out Marrec was a farmer himself, something that never seemed to come up during their conversations on the road. Gerig set up his cart into what was like a makeshift bed, something he could relax into and get some sleep. Turns out it wasn't as comfortable as he first thought it might be and eventually settled for sleeping on the ground like he had the last several days. When trying to get some shuteye, Gerig would now and then spot several dwarfs in various houses looking at him through their windows. It was something Gerig knew he would eventually have to get used to as he then watched the same drapes quickly close up and cover the windows that were staring at him as he finally alone to sleep. He was only able to snooze for a short time until he was interrupted again.

    "Excuse me..." A voice softly started, "I thought you might like to have another blanket. It gets rather cold around here at night." 

    Gerig opened his eyes and sat up from where he was lying down to realize that it wasn't a dwarf that was talking to him. It was a radiant looking woman that was only a foot shorter than him. Gerig obviously figured it that it had to be one of the other three grumps that Marrec had referred to.

    "Thank you." Gerig said with a smile, never taking his eyes off her. She was an exquisite lady that had petite shoulders and a beautiful smile that made her approach seem warm and friendly.

    "I also thought you might like something to eat." She said, as she offered him a small bowl.

    Gerig stood up to take the blanket and the bowl of food from her.

    "Thank you very much." he said nervously, as he tried to be as courteous as possible. "My name is Gerig."

    "So I've heard." She said with a giggle. "I'm Alyssa."

    "It's nice to meet you." Gerig said, trying to make conversation, "How long have you been living here?"

    "My whole life." Alyssa answered.

    There was an awkward silence after that. Alyssa broke it a few seconds later.

    "I was born here," She continued, "I was hoping to introduce you to my parents. It's been over twenty-six years since they have seen anyone else that wasn't a dwarf. Maybe you could drop by tomorrow for lunch?"

    Gerig paused for a moment to digest the request but his answer was pretty obvious. "Of course, I'd love to."

    "Wonderful." Alyssa replied with a warm smile. "I am sure they will enjoy meeting you. Our house isn't too hard to find. It's the large house in the center of the town you assumed was a castle."

    "How did you know I thought it was a castle?" Gerig asked as he felt a little embarrassed.

    "Word travels fast around this town, Gerig." Alyssa replied. "I would recommend that you watch what you say at least for the next week or two until the others are little more comfortable having you around."

    "Thanks, I'll do that." Gerig said, appreciative of her advice. Alyssa said goodbye and went on her way back to the house.

    Gerig watched her leave and couldn't help but stare at the lady and the flowing blonde hair that fell all the way down to her hips. Gerig sat down and began to eat the food that was delivered to him only to notice that the drapes were partly open in a few houses again as those nosy dwarfs must have watched the full exchange between him and Alyssa. He didn't seem to care as he quickly finished eating and laid back down on the ground. He was hoping to get some sleep before the sun came back up, not know what exactly was going to happen to him now. He drifted off to sleep, knowing full well that this very well might be the very place where he would spend the rest of his natural life, and after the first day he had a good feeling about it.

8. The Intruder

    Since Marrec was going to be off his feet for quite a while, Gerig volunteered to cover his duties and work on his portion crops until his foot got better. It wasn't like he had anything else to do there. Gerig worked as hard for this kingdom as he did for the village he had left behind. His best effort was more work than what could be accomplished by twenty dwarfs in a single day. Not only was he able to finish Marrec's work rather quickly, Gerig was also able and willing to help out others who were struggling that day to get things going. It was his way to try to earn their trust and try to fit in by helping out as much as he possibly could.

    Later that day after cleaning up in a nearby pond, Gerig gathered up enough courage to visit the big house in the middle of the city. He met up with Alyssa and enjoying being around her again. He also met her parents and even enjoyed talking to them as much as they enjoyed talking to someone who wasn't a dwarf for the first time in decades. After lunch, Gerig learned that Alyssa had a ton of chores that she needed to finish as well. Since all of Marrec's work was taken care of, he volunteered and was happy to help her out. Many people watched as the two of them interacted and worked together that afternoon. Many of them giggled and whispered around them like gossips and word of their 'chemistry' began to circulate around the city like a brush fire.

    Only a select few knew how to speak Gerig's language, not including Alyssa and her family. Alyssa had agreed to teach Gerig how to speak the language of the Dwarfs if he agreed to help her more around the house. It was a deal that Gerig was eager to accept.

    As days passed, the other dwarfs in the fields also began to no longer fear him as they actually started to respect his hard work and dedication. They were even willing to hear suggestions from Gerig and heed the skills and knowledge that had helped Gerig over the years produce larger and fresher crops. Still there were others who were still intimidated by his height which wasn't all that irregular for him since he was even considered tall back home. Gerig decided to let his actions prove his sincerity as he continued to work and help out around the city and help out in any way he could.

    It wasn't until later that month, when Gerig's loyalty to Marrec and the rest of the city would be challenged. He was working on a few things in town for Alyssa when there was a sudden commotion that had people screaming and yelling in the streets of the city. As Gerig turned to look, he realized what the problem was, as a huge horse was bolting around with a shiny but very aggressive knight on its back. Taran and the other dwarfs were trying to herd him out of the city and away from everyone's home, but it was no use. The knight was too strong and had an advantage of height, especially since he was on top of his mighty steed. It was a situation that Gerig felt was up to him to take care of. Yet first he was in need of a weapon. As he slowly approached the area where the Knight was causing trouble, Gerig used all the strength he could muster and ripped a lamppost that is usually used to light up the streets at night right out of the ground. Some of the dwarfs watched in awe as Gerig tore the wooden pole right out of the ground and ducked low with it to stay out of sight. The lamppost was well over seven feet tall and was just the tool he needed at that moment. Not aware of Gerig's presence the knight got his horse to start barreling down one of the streets, which Gerig did not hesitate to use to his advantage. He jumped out from behind one of the houses, catching the Knight completely off guard and swung the lamppost as hard as he possibly could. The long and very thick wooden spear struck the Knight square in the chest, which broke the wooden pole in half and knocked the armored man clean off his horse. Taran and the rest of the dwarf soldiers ran over to inspect the Knight who was on his back and most likely unconscious.

    "Is he alright, Taran?" Gerig asked as he tossed what was left of the lamppost on the ground.

    "I think he's dead, Gerig." Taran said as he continued to look around.

    "How the hell did he get in here?" Gerig sharply asked as he walked closer to take a look.

    "We usually don't take on knights, Gerig." Taran explained, "He saw one of our guards run in the cave and likely followed him in."

    Gerig shrugged off the explanation and dropped the subject as he knelt beside the big knight. As Gerig slowly removed the knight's helmet, the cause of death was easy to identify. The armor had only been mildly dented from the jolt of the lamppost, and had taken no damage to the chest. It was the fall that killed him as his neck had broken upon impact with the ground. As the other dwarfs were searching the body, Taran came upon something that caught his attention. It was a letter that contained the seal of a King.

    "Do you know how to read this?" he asked as he held up the small paper.

    "I do." Gerig replied as he took the letter from Taran. Upon opening it very carefully, Gerig began to read the message out loud to whoever could understand what he was saying:

Sirus Of Gosland:

I send this message with a dire warning for both you and your kingdom. I have heard from my spies that Lord Dukard is building a massive army with plans to march into your territory and invade within the next few months.

I have sent this letter to make sure that you are not caught completely off guard and have the necessary time to take appropriate actions.
Prepare a solid defense and abandon the villages before it's too late. I pray to the Gods that this message reaches you in time.
Good luck my friend,

Ulath Hortassco

    Taran looked back up at Gerig, "Do you have any idea who any of those people are, Gerig?" he asked.

    "They're both kings." Gerig said as he looked at the letter again.

    "So what is this knight doing here if he had this message to deliver?" Taran quickly snapped back.

    "He's not from either Kingdom." Gerig answered as he pointed to a small emblem on the knight's armour, "This is one of Dukard's men. I'm pretty sure this knight killed the messenger to prevent this letter from reaching Gosland."

     "So, what do we do now, Gerig?" Taran asked.

     Gerig paused for a moment and thought about the situation before looking back at Taran, "I'm going to deliver this letter."

9. A Dire Warning Delivered

    After speaking with Taran, Gerig immediately walked over to the chief's house to speak with him. After explaining the situation to the chief, Gerig then took the time to tell him that it was in his and the city's best interests if Dukard wasn't able to successfully invade Gosland. Upon hearing this, Gerig was the first grump to ever get permission to leave the city so that he could deliver the message to Sirus of Gosland.

    The dwarfs stripped the knight of his armor, and took it to the blacksmiths. It took all twelve of the city's blacksmiths only five hours to peel every emblem of Dukard's army off the armor and to fit it to Gerig's size. The local calligrapher took the letter and resealed it, taking care of the royal seal and making sure it was not smudged. With the letter resealed and ready to be delivered, Gerig put the suit of armor on and decided it was time to ride.

    Gerig walked over to Marrec and the other dwarfs. "I will return. I give you my word."

    "We know." Marrec replied as he looked at big grump in the gigantic suit of armor. "I told ya you'd make a good knight, lad."

    Gerig smiled at the comment before he put the helmet on and mounted the horse. Everyone in town collectively waved goodbye, which was a touching site for Gerig to see as it was a far cry from the reception he got when he first arrived with Marrec a while back. He kicked the sides of the horse and the steed bolted off away from the city and into the cave. A few seconds later, Gerig and the horse were back in the woods and on their way. It took Gerig over a week to travel from his village which was in on the outskirts of Gosland's territory to Marrec's home, but that was by foot. With the horse doing all the work, it took Gerig less than two days to make it back to the town he had left behind. Once in town, Gerig never stopped to say a word as he zipped right past the villagers as they watched in awe as the armor shone in the sunlight as he barrelled off to the massive castle that stood behind the cluster of villages. When Gerig reached the castle, the draw-bridge was up as he forced his steed to stop just short of the moat.

    "Open the gates!" Gerig barked at the castle with authority. 

    "Who goes there?" a voice called out from the castle.

    "I bring an urgent message for Sirus of Gosland. I demand to be let in immediately!" Gerig snapped back, trying his best to play the part of a strong and mighty knight. He paused for a few moments and then impatiently reached into his chest plate and produced the letter, "I carry the seal of the Ulath Hortassco, open the bloody gates so that I can deliver it!"

    Upon speaking the name of Ulath and since there was only a single rider outside, the castle doors began to open and the bridge was dropped. Gerig rode into the castle and immediately dismounted. He turned to one of the guards at the gate. "I need to speak with your King and it is urgent that I give him this right now!"

    The guards stood aside as another knight approached. He took the letter away from Gerig for a moment and handed it to someone beside him. The person looked at it for a moment. "The seal is authentic."

    Upon hearing that, the Knight handed the letter back to Gerig. "Escort this Knight to the throne room." he barked at the guards. 

    Gerig followed the guards up a flight of stairs and around a few corners until they reached a rather large door. They were closed, but Gerig really didn't have time for formalities. With one thunderous kick, he opened the doors and marched right into the throne room. Sirus' guards stood up in shock as they watched as Gerig stormed into the room.

    "Sir Knight." Sirus snarled, "You had better explain your uninvited interruption of my court."

    Gerig paused for a moment and took a deep breathe as walked up to the foot of the throne and knelt to show his respect to the King. "My Lord, I bring an urgent message from Ulath Hortassco."

    One of Sirus' guards walked over and took the letter away from Gerig and handed it to his King. After looking at the seal over himself for a few seconds, Sirus opened the letter read it. As he did, Gerig could see the King's face go a little pale with fear as the contents of the message slowly sank in. The King handed the letter off to a knight who stood right beside his throne that proceeded to read it quickly and then stormed out of the room with several guards, obviously on his way to immediately prepare for the incoming invasion.

    Sirus turned back to face Gerig, "Remove your helmet, Sir..."

    "Gerig, my Lord." he answered as he stood back up and removed his helmet. Gerig had not shaved since leaving for the Marrec's city so he had a decent beard that hid his face and potentially his identity from anyone who might have been able to recognize him.

     "Sir Gerig." Sirus said as he walked over, "Your courage has most likely saved our kingdom. I will make sure Ulath hears of your plight and rewards you for it. For now, I bid you to join us for tonight's feast so that we can all toast to your successful mission."

    As much as Gerig would have loved to break bread with his king, he had to decline to prevent himself from being discovered. 

    "I would be honored to, my Lord." Gerig said as respectfully as he could, "But I have pressing matters that require my attention. I must leave immediately." 

    The King paused for a moment and the entire court was respectfully quiet as he did so.

    "Very well." Sirus said as he seemed to understand, especially considering the contents of the letter he just delivered. "I thank you for bringing this to my attention, Sir Gerig. When you are finished with your pressing matters, I hope you will do us the honor to visit so that we may feast and celebrate with you at another time."

    "I would be honored, your majesty." Gerig said as he put his helmet back on. He again knelt to the king and dismissed himself.

    Upon his leaving, the room quickly exploded into a loud chatter as his massage was finally the main subject that was on everyone's mind. Gerig didn't have time to hang around as he proceeded to mount his horse again, went back across the bridge and on his way home to the kingdom he now considered his home. He was eager to be with Marrec and the rest of the dwarfs again but more than that he was also eager to be with Alyssa. Gerig clicked his heels and the horse stormed off back into the forest, on their way back to the city where Gerig would spend the rest of his natural life.