Chasms and Chinks

Of Orchards and Dwarves

The light faded away.

Legolas and Gimli, who were sitting beside each other at that time, found themselves in the midst of a wood, the view of the sea beside them. Legolas got up, gazed above him and around him, then pressed a hand to the trunk of a tree nearby.

"Where-where are we?" Gimli asked. He was also lying flat on the ground, making both of them feel as if they had just woken up from a dream, or from unconsciousness.

"I don't know," Legolas said. "We don't seem to be in Gondor anymore. Are there any forests near there?"

Gimli shrugged. "I believe we must see where we are, then. And who brought us here."

They wandered through the forest for a while, squinting at the sun above them. Legolas leapt up onto a raised part of the ground and stopped all of a sudden, jaw slack and face marked with surprise. Seeing this, Gimli went over to him, unsuccessfully trying to see the horizon.

"What do you see?" Gimli said.

"Something," Legolas absentmindedly said, though he didn't turn, eyes still gazing over the landscape.

Gimli found somewhere else to get a better view and saw why his friend was stunned.

Before them were ruins of what seemed to be an old palace's courtyard, pillars broken and cracked, grass growing in between the cracks. The cathedral-like arch was still visible, though near collapse, and there was a circular platform in the middle. A breeze came, as if to welcome them, and for the first time the two felt the air of the forlorn place, an air that told them that they were somewhere else-not Middle-Earth, but just as magical.

"This palace looks as if it had been attacked."

"My word," Gimli said. "This might've been a glorious place before!"

"Aye," Legolas said, then found a way down to the courtyard, Gimli behind him.

They found apple trees lining the outside ("All the better-at least we won't starve!" Gimli said.) and found a place nearby an ivy-covered wall where they could take shelter from the sun. Sitting down on a rock platform, Legolas saw something catch the sunlight, hidden in the grass...

He took it and raised it for Gimli to see.

"A knight," he said. "From a chess set."

The horse was made of gold, one of its eyes a ruby. The other socket, however, had lost its jewel.

"Fancy that," Gimli said. "The one who owns such a set must be wealthy."

With this he leaned against the wall behind Legolas, which shuddered and slid to the side, revealing portion of a wooden door behind it. Gimli started, then pushed against the rock until it revealed the whole ivy-clad door.

"In the name of Durin," he gasped.

"Let us see what lies within," said Legolas and, finding a sturdy branch, pried the planks apart with the help of Gimli. After hacking and pulling the rotten wood away, they managed to break down enough of the door to make an opening wide enough for both of them to fit.

The inside was well lit with the sun streaming through the roof, stairs leading down below to what seemed to be a treasure chamber, with statues of kings and queens standing behind chests. Despite a few rocks and dust and collapsed columns, the place was safe from whatever attacked the place and Legolas and Gimli wasted no time going down to the chamber and checking things out.

Gimli went over to the chest of the younger king and pushed open the chest.

Gold and silver and weapons dazzled his eyes, jewels and books and coats stacked on top of each other, preserved from the disaster that befell the place. He picked up a helmet, too narrow for him, then took out a dagger just his size.