Day 11, Week 1 - Into the Halls

[Corporal Light]

One hour later...

Both travelers remained silent as they hiked through the valley, the dwarf leading the way while the green man stayed a few feet behind him. The greenskin made no effort to look at the dwarf, preferring to remain quiet and not be bothered by the little pygmy.

They eventually reached a large hill that was, for the most part, devoid of anything but snow and the occasional large rock. Grumbling to himself, the sentry started walking up the hill with Ballad in tow. As they walked, the dwarf finally spoke up.

“So, what exactly got a green-skinner troll like ya to want to help us out?” He asked halfheartedly

“Firstly, I will ingeminate, I am no troll, nor have I ever planned on being associated with the terminology 'troll-”

“Ya have green skin.” The dwarf interrupted.

“That's beside the point.” Ballad responded, trying his best not to sound irritated.

“Actually, I would say it IS the point. Everyone knows trolls ar' bloodthirsty creatures with a penchant for violence, and ya certainly don't differ from that description, from the look o' thin's. I'd say that ya bein' a troll is a well founded accusation. “ The dwarf replied, taking a moment to look back at Ballad.

The green gunsmith glared at the sentry, taking a deep breath as he drew his eyes away from his escort's despicable talisman. The ruby within the charm glowed an eerie red, as if taunting him, wondering if he had the guts to try to rip the religious bastard apart.

“I will be very clear, so as not to confound you with my utilization of the immeasurable vocabulary at my disposal. Again, I am no troll. I will continue to inform you of this fact until you understand it.”

“Again, green skin. All the evidence I need.” The sentinel said, clearly not focusing on what he was saying as he moved up the hill.

“Allow me to finish. Secondly, I do not want to believe you dumb, and thus, I will not answer your question in the hopes that you will be able to figure it out.” The gunner replied.

“What the 'ell is that supposed to mean?!” The dwarf cried, his attention returning back to the greenskin as he stopped at the top of the hill.

“I will not comment any further on the subject. If you wish to know more about it, ask at a later date.”

The gunsmith couldn't help but let out a victorious chuckle as he walked up to the sentinel, whom merely sighed. As the inventor moved next to him, the sentry roughly elbowed him in the hip, pointing down the hill.

It was Nierhin.

The village was, naturally, surrounded by hills, being in the middle of a large valley. It was of reasonable size, taking up a good portion of the valley within. It was surrounded by a tall, wooden, spiked wall that was probably more than twice his height. Each wall had a portcullis attached to it, with guards looking over each wall. Smoke rose from the rooftops of various buildings within, blocking out most of the other details he could find.

“Well, ya gonna move it or what, greenskin?” The dwarf said impatiently.

“Just give me a few moments, my friend. I'm taking in the sights.” He replied, despite having already gotten his fill.

The Town of Nierhin

They had gone through the gate without much trouble, though Ballad took note of the chuckles the guards made as the sentry joked at his expense. They were apparently on friendly terms, or at least familiar terms. As the portcullis lifted up off of the ground, he shot one last frown towards the dwarf before moving into the village.

It was a crowded place, to be sure, though not to the extent of Minas Tirith, where the streets were literally impossible to traverse without being run over by the hordes of people that flocked through them. The streets in Nierhin were far more manageable. Dwarves of all genders and ages went about their daily business, some being pulled by oxen with carts. Their hooves clomped against the cobblestone ground as they moved past the gunsmith, snorting. His escort led the way through the herds of people, pointing out several names of buildings they passed along the way.

The first place he mentioned was the marketplace, held in the center of town. According to the dwarf, every day at noon, dwarves from all over the Fields would congregate around the statue of Odin, a copper statue of a one-eyed, long-bearded man clutching his staff, Gungir. He did not get into specifics about who Odin was, instead focusing on the nature of the market. Merchants would set up colored tents and tables covered in drapes, and all would try to outsell each other, often through low prices and trash talk. Tauntaun meat, the hides of Wampas, and gems were especially common items to see on the market.

“So, if I may ask, why do you have a statue to this...Odin?” SPB asked, curious.

“God o' knowledge. You should study up on 'im. Could help yer greenskin brain.”

“I'll pass...” He replied, turning his eyes away from the vile thing.

As they passed by the market, his escort pointed towards a nearby building. Unlike most of the other buildings, which were mostly constructed out of logs, the structure was made out of stone bricks, most chipped away by snow. Its roof was low-hanging, but the apex of its shape rose high to call attention to itself. Smoke rose from a chimney on the left side of the structure, which was connected to a furnace from outside. Underneath another rooftop, albeit smaller, worked two blacksmiths. One sat near a silver anvil with a hammer, pounding down onto a molten piece of metal. Sparks flew in every direction with each strike, metal clanging against metal. The second smith stood near the furnace, sticking a long metal pole into it, occasionally pulling down on a rope to compress a burner tube at the right of the furnace.

“That ther' ar' the Ruffian Brother's Forge. They look professional, but wait till ya see them fightin' it out over a pint o' beer at the Bloody Boar's Inn. Guard's had to bust their asses a few times for unruly behavior. Plus, they don' sell cheap. If it wasn' for their damn good quality armaments, they probably wouldn' be here.” The dwarf said, shaking his head towards the Ruffian's general direction, quietly cursing them to hell if Inanna was fair.

They passed by several other buildings, stopping in front of the Bloody Boar's Inn, which was signified by the stuffed head of a boor nailed into the door. Music emerged from behind the door, followed by the clinking of glasses and hearty cheers.

“Well, her' it is. You'll find f- the leader in there.” The bearded dwarf said, turning around, about to walk off.

“You're just going to leave me to his mercy?” Ballad said, noticing his apprehension.

The sentry drew to a halt, whirling around, “That actually reminds me. Two things. First off, don' be concerned. Leader's a good man, even if his antics seem weird.” He said, smiling as he looked down towards the ground, letting out a light chuckle before speaking again, “Secondly, tell the man Danish said hello. He'd kill me if he found out I entered without his knowledge.”

“I'll keep that in mind, I suppose..” He replied, instantly forgetting about it as soon as he saw the dwarf begin to walk off, clutching his talisman.

He let out a sigh of relief, making sure the sentinel was well away from him before he walked towards the door. The music got louder and louder as he pushed the door open, ready to go find the leader.

Quest: Into The Halls
Word Count: 1,321
Amount Left: 4,604