The Wonderful Wood

In the Mines

"Thank you, your majesty," said Ethan, and there was a flash, and Diagon turned back to a dog.

"I will stay with the boy."

"As you wish," said the dwarf king and clapped his hands again.

A dwarf came and bowed his head. "I want you to take these visitors to the rooms in the south corner!"

"As you wish, your majesty!" said the dwarf and turned to Ethan and Diagon, "please follow me, kind sirs."

They went up a corridor with axes and swords displayed on the walls. There were statues carved into the rock on either side of the passages.

They climbed several stairs and walked along several passages before they walked along the passage. They climbed up another set of stairs and finally came to a door. The dwarf took out a bunch of keys and unlocked the door.

They came into a spacious room with richly decorated colourful carpets. In the middle of the room was a four-poster bed with scarlet curtains.

Ethan stared. It was the most beautiful room he had ever seen.

"Have a pleasant stay," said the dwarf and handed the keys to Ethan. 

Then Ethan got on to the bed and yawned. Diagon sat down on the carpet and curled himself. Soon they both were fast asleep.

They woke up in the morning and found a fruit basket on the bedside table. There were apples, grapes, oranges, strawberries and plums. Ethan took some and handed it to Diagon. They ate until there was nothing left in the basket.

When they had done eating, there was a knock on the door. "Come in!" said Ethan getting off the bed. Diagon stretched himself as the door opened, and a dwarf with a long black beard and an eyepatch walked in.

"Good morning. I'm come to deliver the message that the king eagerly awaits your presence!" said the dwarf, bowing.

"Good morning, we will come with you," said Ethan getting off the bed, and Diagon followed him. They walked down dimly lit corridors and passages until they came to a vast hall lit up with torches and candelabras.

Diagon and Ethan walked up to the king and bowed. He was sitting at a table, and there were silver platters with food served out. "Come! take a seat, Ethan, and you may join us too, Diagon!"

There was a flash, and Diagon turned into a dwarf! Everyone stared.

"That's more homely!" said the dwarf king laughing. "I feel great. You were right, Diagon. I drank the soup boiled in the fire you gave, and my head has felt better ever since."

There were several other dwarf lords and ladies seated at the table. They all looked at Diagon and Ethan. Ethan looked down.

"We are pleased that your majesty feels better!" said Ethan, realizing that he was supposed to speak.

They had a quiet breakfast, and when they had all had their fill, the king cleared his voice. "Rathanon, I want you to come with me to my throne room without visitors. We have a business to discuss!"

"As you wish, your majesty," said a plump dwarf bowing his head.

They had a quiet breakfast, and when they had all had their fill, the king cleared his voice. "Rathanon, I want you to come with me to my throne room without visitors. We have a business to discuss!"

They followed the king into his throne room.

"Rathanon, you are undoubtedly the best smith of our time! I have summoned you to bid you help these guests."

"I am glad to be of service to my king!" said the dwarf with amber hair, bowing.

"I want you to help our guests by making them a magical suit of armour. This boy is a friend of Drizzlemister, who is in trouble! Please make this. I also plan to send some of my soldiers with these visitors to rescue my old friend!"

"As your majesty pleases. I see what I can do!" said the dwarf smith tugging at his beard. "If the rumours have been true, one of our guests in the great Diagon returned from the realm of dead?"

"The rumours are true! He is here with us!" said the dwarf king nodding.

"I will do my best to help them! They can come and watch me work! Diagon's fire will be helpful!"

"I do not doubt that it will be," said the dwarf king beaming. "It is truly magical!"

"You will get whatever material you need at my expense, and you will be richly rewarded for your services!"

"Thank you, your majesty," said the dwarf, bowing. Then he turned to Ethan and Diagon and said, "If you are ready, I'm ready to start work!"

"Yes. The sooner, the better. We are running out of time!" said Diagon, and turning to Ethan, he said, "let's go with him."

Ethan and Diagon followed Rathanon. They went down several sets of stairs, and the air around them began to grow warmer and warmer as they went deeper and deeper down into the earth. "We are nearly there," said Rathanon as they turned a corner.

They came to a massive pair of metal doors. Rathanon tapped on it three times and whistled aloud, and a stogy dwarf opened the door with silver hair.

"I see you are here with visitors," said the dwarf, smiling. "We are honoured to have such guests in our humble workshop. We don't see the likes of such esteemed folk!"

"I have to agree with you there, Gwainon," said Rathanon as he strode towards a furnace and started humming.

"If you please, sir Diagon, could you lights the furnace once I put it out?"

"You don't need to call me, sir. Plain Diagon would do, and yes, I will do that for you!

"Alright," said Rathanon and said, pointing to a silver stream flowing by on the floor. "This water is magical! It gives everything we make a magical aura to it!"

"I knew as soon as I saw it," said Diagon smiling. "We caught sight of this same stream on our way here!"