The Fourfold Key

Chapter Twenty: Plans Go Awry

As it turned out, Tom was right. They walked the same direction for the whole day, and when they became tired—they couldn't say it was night, because it was always dark—they set up camp. Their camp consisted of two things: Themselves. All their belongings had been lost in the quicksand, so there was nothing to do but curl up in the boggy soil to sleep.

    Ruth was curious to know if Tom's prediction as to where north was was right, so before they slept she convinced Tom to boost her into a tree. She climbed to the very top. It was dusk, so she had to sit there for a while before she could locate the north star. Tom had assured her that the north star pointed north in Adonia, and well as Earth. They were indeed going the right way. She clambered down and marked the direction, so they could sleep in peace and know where to go in the morning.

    Tom took the first watch. Ruth was worried that he would fall asleep like he usually did when he took watch, so she slept lightly. But when the time came, Tom woke her up like he was supposed to. It was a little strange how careful and polite they were both acting, but if it had stopped their fight, Ruth would go along with it.

    In the morning they set off again, the same direction as before. Ruth was skeptical of their direction quite a few times, but Tom never seemed dubious of the invisible path he was set on.

    By the end of the day they had reached the edge of Troll Swamps. Ruth had spent the entire time worrying that the trolls would appear out of nowhere, but fortunately, they encountered none.

    They slept out in the Elven Woodlands that night, both relieved to have a view of the stars as they slept. This time, unfortunately, Tom did fall asleep. They both woke in the morning, groggy after a long night of sleep. Ruth didn't say anything about it.

    "A half day's walk and we'll be there!" Tom announced. "I'm not entirely positive if that's a good thing, though..."

    Ruth sighed with relief. Soon she would see her father! She was so close! She wished the rest of her family was here...

    Around midday they reached the Dwarf Mines. It was a hole in the ground, just large enough for an adult to walk through. The ground around it was bare and dry to match the blistering sun above. Ruth was hiding the Key now, and the weight wasn't helping her fatigue. Dwarves wandered in and out of the hole, bringing in loads of what looked like weapons and armor.

    Ruth turned to Tom, remembering what he had said at the beginning. "So, I guess this is where you'll leave me then?" Her voice cracked. She couldn't believe how much she'd miss this dwarf.

    Tom shut his eyes tight. "Ruth...all of my worst nightmares root from that place. I want to run screaming back to my old cottage in the Gnome Forest right now. But..." He took a deep breath. Ruth couldn't breathe at all. Was he going to stay? "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I just left you here, at the most dangerous stop on our journey. No. I'll come with you. I'll be at your side until we finish what we began."

    Ruth teared up. "Thank you," she whispered, and slowly wrapped her arms around him.

    They sat in silence, watching the dwarves milling to and fro, until they had fully composed themselves.

    "Does anyone know they make all those weapons?" Ruth whispered as they peered around one of the trees at the edge of the forest.

    "To a certain extent, yes. No one knows the full extent of their building, and the little they are aware of they view as self-defense."   

"Didn't you say something about it while you were out there? To let people know what they're doing?"

    "Yes, but it was just me. No one else would vouch for what I said," Tom replied.