When we led the team of horses out the gate there were dwarves that lined the way. As we walked we looked at the stunning colors of fall. Little One scampered out of a bush with Charles chasing her. She ran right up my body as Charles detoured to leap up into Ellie’s arms.
Four days later we stopped early to camp beside the entrance into the dwarven tunnels. Ellie had purchased sacks of grain and I put feed bags on each horse before heading out to gather wood for a fire. Tiny light snow flakes began falling before I brought the first arm load of wood in. She glanced up and grinned, “We have company.”
She nodded to the new thick door into the dwarven tunnel that was open now and I smiled to see Tolivar. He came out carrying a big pot of what looked like stew, “I was up here checking on the new door and decided to stick around until you came by.”
I grinned with Ellie and set the wood down. It was a nice evening but after eating it began to snow a little harder. Little One and Charles both grumbled about wet feet and went to hide in the wagon. I had moved a few warm furs to the bed a few days before when it began getting cooler at night.
Tolivar looked at the drifting snow, “Be careful going through the pass.”
He stood and headed for the doorway without looking back. It was still snowing lightly the next morning as we headed towards the pass. It wasn’t a blizzard but I knew it could get bad. I had Ellie sit in the driver’s seat of the wagon while I guided the horses. I was a little worried one of the horses might slip and break a leg but they seemed to do fine.
Even the extra horses behind the wagon carrying more grain did okay. We stopped for a lunch under some tall pines. I made a small fire and smiled at her amazement when I made grill cheese sandwiches. Ellie walked with me during the afternoon. By the time we stopped for the night in a thick stand of evergreens it was snowing a little harder.
Little One and Charles went out to explore while I gathered wood. We fed the horses grain warmed in a mash before cooking our own dinner. Ellie surprised me by walking around our camp and whispering a spell. She smiled and told me it was to ward off wild animals. We were just getting ready to climb into the wagon.
A whisper of sound came to me and Ellie spun in surprise and glanced out into the darkness, “Who’s there?”
The creature that stepped out surprised me. It was only two feet tall and covered in fur. Then I realized it was wearing a type of fur robe or overcoat. Ellie knelt, “How may we help little one?”
The voice that answered was high and almost squeaky, “We are traveling over the pass to the Deep Forest.”
I looked at Ellie as she smiled and glanced at me and then back at the little person, “How many travel with you?”
It seemed to smile, “My family, four adults and six children.”
Ellie nodded and smiled at me, “We can take them with us?”
I smiled at her, “I don’t think they will take up much room.”
She nodded and turned back to the little person, “Bring your family in and warm yourself at our fire.”
It almost sounded like a ritual and the little man bowed, “Thank you.”
Ellie stood and moved back to the fire and added another few sticks. I sat on a fallen log and waited. She finally turned to face me, “They are Gnomes. Very timid and rarely seen. They normally live in heavy forests.”
I nodded, “and use some type of poison on their weapons.”
She looked surprised but nodded, “That is a closely guarded secret.”
