It had been news to me. Daniel had filled me in on the way.
The lands were watched over and guarded. Beth had reassured me that the miners were expecting us and that we’d be able to pass with no issues into the lands guarded by the dwarves. So far, that seemed to be true. A dwarf had been there at the start of the road to open the gate for us. Two more gates had been opened before we even made it to the winding mountain road itself.
“Thanks for coming with me,” I told Daniel, exhausted for some reason.
He smiled. “No problem. I’m actually kind of glad that Beth had to run off and talk to a troublemaking Narwhal because I get to spend a little more time with you.”
I laughed. “It’s nice to have company, especially your company. I don’t think I could do this alone.”
Daniel nodded and gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “You can do it, no matter what happens. You don't have to, though. I'm here for you.”
I smiled, feeling a little better. If anything did happen, Daniel would be there to protect me and help me get through it. He was good like that.
We continued on our journey, winding up the mountain road. I reached over and took his hand. “You certainly know how to flatter a lady.”
We both laughed, and he squeezed my hand. "I forgot to tell you. I ran into Nathan and a few of his wolves at the nursery. They were loading up on fertilizer and seeds."
"Oh? Are they making a garden?" Nathan was the local wolf pack alpha. He'd been very young when he'd taken over the pack. Daniel had been trying to help him turn the pack in a direction of prosperity and success.
"Yes, and he said several of them had started up a roofing company. They really seem to be getting their lives together." He beamed like a proud father.
"I'm so glad." We turned a corner and passed a dwarf walking along the side of the road.
“As happy as I am to hear about the wolves, for now, tell me more about these dwarves.”
Daniel’s smile faded away, and he sighed. “The dwarves are fine.” The way he said ‘fine’ said something different. “Okay, they’re a little annoying, but not bad people. They were raised to value loyalty and honor above all else.”
“That doesn’t sound too bad,” I said, confused.
He shook his head. “It doesn’t sound bad in theory, but it’s a different thing altogether in reality. We cross paths often enough, me being a bear and wandering around, them being miners. As long as I don’t go near their mines, they don’t care, and the same goes for them staying off of my property.”
There was something he wasn’t saying, but I couldn’t figure out what. “Still no problems there?”
He sighed again. “They also care about their jewels and wealth a lot. I mean, a lot. A few dwarfs have separated from their community and live in town. They send their kids to school with everyone else and have mostly renounced the dwarven way of life. The rest of them, most of them, rarely leave the mountains and mines. They stay up here raising one generation after another, building their wealth, and obeying the King of the Mountains above all else.”
“King of the Mountains?”
“Regmun Bheldrus, but the name is a title. The King of the Mountain is voted in by their people every ten years, although the same dwarf tends to be voted in until they get too old. The king’s job is to keep the mines running and ensure that everyone gets the correct cut of the spoils.”
“Cool,” I said. It sounded like some real Lord of the Gems stuff.
“Yeah, cool,” he muttered.
“Seriously, what am I missing?”
He smirked. “You’ll see.”
We approached another gate, larger than the others. There wasn’t anyone there to open it. We idled in front of it for a moment before it creaked open. On the other side, seven dwarves stood in a line in front of Daniel’s truck, and for some reason, they seemed to be ready to fight.
Daniel cut the engine.
“Seven dwarves?” I murmured, a nervous laugh exploding from my lips.
“These aren’t like the ones in fairy tales,” Daniel whispered. “Be respectful and follow my lead.”
Did he think I wouldn’t be respectful? Okay, I may have had a few dwarf jokes ready to come out at the worst possible times brewing in my head. For example, one was scowling more than the others. I wanted to ask him if his name was Happy.
A giggle caught in my throat, and I turned it into a cough. I didn't know if they could hear me in the truck.
