Flawed Gemstone

The Cost

The Dwarf slept all throughout the day and woke only long enough for dinner that night before falling back asleep. They were very quiet as they got ready for bed and slipped beneath their blankets. The next morning, Dopey woke up to see the naked stranger slipping downstairs as dawn's rays lit up the sky. The young Dwarf was curious and he followed.

At the top of the stairs, he paused to see the Dwarf digging through his pack. He pulled out some clothes and awkwardly got dressed, his face set in a grimace. When he lifted his arms to slide his shirt on, his face contorted, but he managed to get it on without a sound. He took a moment to get his breath back, his eyes on Doc's sleeping form on the bench. Dopey wondered at that then his eyes widened as the stranger opened the door and limped out, shutting it quietly behind him. He was leaving!

Dopey bounded down the stairs and shook Doc, who opened his eyes and stared at him.

"A nightmare?" Doc asked blearily.

Dopey shook his head and pointed at the door.

"Too early to go outside."

Dopey stomped his foot then gave up and bolted to the door, flinging it open and racing into the chilly dawn. It hit the wall with a crash, and Doc sat up as there was a cry of alarm from upstairs. He looked around, unsure of what was going on. Then he noticed the pack was gone. The next cry he understood and the words that came next didn't surprise him.

"He's gone!" Happy yelled, coming to the door at the top of the stairs.

Doc leaped up and grabbed for his boots as the others scrambled down the stairs. Meanwhile, Dopey, barefoot and in his nightgown, ran after the stranger, who was moving with startling quickness. He wasn't sure why there was such an urgency, but he knew that it was a bad idea for somebody so wounded to run into the woods. He was young, but he knew there were wolves and snakes.

He tripped and went sprawling, yelping as he slid across the forest floor. The stranger jerked around, his eyes wide as his hand went to his belt. He was crouched, wary, then he saw the Dwarf. He was muddy and bleeding from several cuts on his face, hands, and feet. The Dwarf sat up and stared at him with big eyes.

The stranger could tell that this Dwarf was very young. He might even be a child, considering how short he was. Plus he had no beard. He hesitated, knowing that the others would be coming. He could continue on and tell this child to go back home. He took a step backward, and the child looked panicked and reached out imploringly. The stranger's heart clenched. He was forcefully reminded of himself, young and reaching out for help from those who were supposed to care for him. Nobody came for him. He couldn't do that to this child.

He was limping forward before he registered he'd made a decision and knelt down beside the child. Shrugging out of his pack, he pulled out a small rag and his canteen. He dampened the cloth and began dabbing at the scratches on his face, wiping off the blood. The child smiled and wiggled his ears, making the stranger snort.

"Yer some kinda fool, kid," the stranger grumbled. "Got no sense trustin' a stranger." The child shrugged then wiggled his bare toes, biting his bottom lip.

"I'll get to it," he muttered. "Hold still."

Bashful watched curiously as the gruff stranger took care of Dopey. He'd gone from ready to bolt to infinitely tender in the blink of an eye. He would never forget the look on the Dwarf's face when Dopey had reached out. His scowling visage had crumpled into a mask of pain so raw that it was heartrending. His scowl was back in place now, but that moment of vulnerability touched Bashful. He shifted forward and a branch snapped beneath his weight.

At once, the stranger looked up. Seeing Bashful, his expression became crazed, like a wild animal in a cage, and he surged up and tried to flee, but his leg gave way and he hit the ground with a gasping groan directly onto his bruised ribs. He clutched at his side, wheezing as he tried to catch his breath, pain his only reality. Bashful hurried forward, kneeling beside the stranger.