When Blaise set off towards the deep forest she had no intention of risking its perils alone and so skirted its mysterious depths by following the lake shoreline.
Dwarves are neither small nor particularly belligerent nor are their women bearded as some storytellers would have you believe along with a lot of other such nonsense that belongs to the myth genre. In fact dwarves once were part of the elvish tribes but gradually changed shape over the centuries as a result of having retreated to the mountains to become delvers or miners.
The elves had also been forced to retreat from the increasing number of belligerent early humans but they had become arboreal beings that made the forest their home. Thus they also changed over time becoming tall slender beings with acute hearing.
Dwarves on the other hand gradually became about five feet to five foot six and heavily muscled and broad shouldered as befits someone that earns their living with pickaxe and sledge hammer breaking granite and other such minerals for metal ores not just gold and diamonds.
Blaise was about five foot five inches in height and not as stocky as her male counterparts, perhaps the elven strain was more dominant but she was nevertheless a match for any other of her kind which made her a formidable fighter if needs must.
She had been both hurt and angry when the boy she had grown so close to had left her without warning though truth be told neither had made it plain there was any more to their friendship. She was level headed enough to recognize this but it had left her confused along with her disappointment at what could have been.
Garm, her father, had reluctantly recognized Blaises attraction to the boy Peter as he'd known him - for Timothy was an assumed name Peter had adopted to help hide his true identity when he set himself up in business on his return from the barrier lands.
Peter for his part hadn't encountered such feelings previously and was confused and slightly scared at his conflicting emotions. After all, Blaise was Garms daughter and he didn't think it was right to show any more than polite interest in her for who knew how her father might feel and he respected Garm almost as if he was Peters own father.
So as Garm and Tim as he was now, rode along in companionable silence, save for the occasional remark, Garm realised it was a good time to air a subject about which he was uncomfortably aware was necessary.
"We've known each other for a while now lad" he said "and I don't really know much about how things are in the world of men but I do know you had no proper father so perhaps, I thought, there might be some questions I should ask if you don't mind?"
"Not at all" Tim replied curious as to the nature of these enquiries. It wasn't at all like Garm to show any interest in what Tim thought about anything other than the job in hand. Their relationship had always been a curious mix of master and apprentice with the roles reversed according to whoever was the most knowledgeable about whatever they were doing at the time.
"I noticed that you never speak about any of the folks who are your friends back there on the other side. So I wonder does that mean you aint got none? I mean people your own age, you know, people you might miss and will be glad to get back to like the last time."
"Oh well theres Stiv I know I mentioned him, the head assassin who I rescued from Gallows Hill? Then there was a saddle makers boy that I befriended."
"No lady friends then? It seems to me that you and my Blaise seemed to get on well enough if you don't mind me saying so.""
"No, there aren't many in Brocks Barn and most are spoken for but I'm too busy to be wasting time with the silly girls that bother me in my shop at Hoddes Town and make faces at me and giggle. Stiv tells me I should pay more attention to them as it might do me some good but I don't see why for the life of me."
"Ah well now Blaise.." began Garm as Tim also said at the same moment
"Well Blaise is your daughter Garm and so I was respectful and careful to mind my manners with her. I hope I didn't cause any offence? She was a great help when I got trapped in the deep forest, probably saved my life."
"She never said a word to me or my wife!" exclaimed Garm "Oh well that explains a lot does that. You have never even made any girl friends at all, have you?
Women can be strange creatures Tim they don't think like you and me see? Like cats whereas men are more like dogs, if that means anything to you. See a cat will make up its mind what it needs from you and do what it takes to get that. If it don't want your attention it will make it plain.
Whereas dogs on the other hand just want to be your friend no matter what, rich or poor they don't care, as long as you like them they'll forgive you anything."
"I like Blaise a lot" said Tim awkwardly "Don't know how to put it better. You might get right angry with me if I tried to put some of my thoughts into words so I keep them to myself."
Garm laughed so loudly that for a moment he almost dropped the reins and Buttercup feeling the change in pressure on her bridle, patiently stopped waiting for a resumption of control.
'Things aint like that with us boy! We says what we means and nobody thinks the worse of us for it. Plain speaking are dwarves and thats my advice to you if the opportunity arises again but maybe that's not meant for either of you and perhaps t'was for the best after all."
Tim did not think so but didn't say so having finally realized what a fool he'd been but then how was he to have known?
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