Tired

Archimedes was a tired man. He was injured and all he wanted to do was sleep. He lay in the caves along, as Thronir and Karamir smoked their pipes. Ayrovan paced around agitated. And there were a lot of dwarves trying to make sense of the world around them. The optimism caused by the sun gave them hope. And then the darkness there in after gave them the bleak sense of life that they were used to! The children wanted to wander out of the caves but their mothers would stop them.

Mithrir was with his family hidden in the caves. Not caring too much about the sun. All he wanted most was the money and the home! He looked around in wary eyes. In concerned eyes. And certainly in paranoid eyes. He was worried someone was about to hurt him. And for good reason he was afraid of Ayrovan! Every time he saw the man, he would try to hide. And the only face he was happy to see was Arienne. He would try to talk to her and she would find it strange! His wife and daughter were thinking that he was going to lose his mind! Or worse that he had already lost it! One fine night, he got up and walked without talking to anyone. They did not care as they realised that he would return back, however safely he possibly could! He walked with a rapid pace. His eyes twitching and legs shaking! Arienne he said! What she looked up to him! Why does your child not carry the scar the rest of you, he asked her. You had come all this way to ask me about the scar? She asked him. Yes, he replied! I don't know, she replied. A scar is a scar, that's about it. What does it matter? She asked him and looked at him. He was perplexed and looked side to side a bit embarrassed! Would you have married your wife if she had a scar? asked Arienne! I guess so, said Mithrir not very interested in the question! Then what do you care? asked Arienne. I only care when all this is over and we go back to our regular lives. There will be a reason for you to wear a mask, he said unforgivingly. Such a senile and selfish creature, she said in disguist. What is wrong with that? The mask is what makes you fearful, he said to her. Without the mask you are just ordinary women, he said to her! She listened to him carefully! You don't fear us? You just fear the mask? She asked him. Yes! He said as though he was surprised to hear this from her! He sat beside her, dwarf next to hylin. You remove the mask and there will be nothing to be sacred of you about! He said. And for a second, she wanted to put a scar on her baby, but she realised something then and there. Beyond the greedy eyes of the dwarf was a man standing who would make sure that there was no past to go back to! There was a relentless spirit in him. Whose injuries would not deter his course, nor any weakness in the mind! No matter how many opponents he had to fight! He would. Till his breath was there, he would fight! She knew that. Everyone did except the greedy dwarf Mithrir.

And she could see the dwarves walking with more confidence. There was a courage in them, which was previously missing. Their eyes were clear and bright. All their eyes were except a few of them. She could see shadowy dwarf creatures morphing in with the natives. Their eyes were light blue and bulging out! It was much larger than the others and certainly not as threatening as the natives nor Karamir's! There was a certain innocence about them. Unhurt, unperplexed and certainly with charter aura around them. They have traveled far and wide, she thought! In light, sand and water. They must have surely seen their share of danger and darkness, she wondered. But how are they so at peace. What are you looking at? asked Mithrir to her! It's nothing she said as her face skewed. Clearly disgusted with the dwarf.

The shadowy creatures emitted light ironically as they passed through the caves. It was as if they carried light wherever they went! Some of them hid between their cloaks a magical potion in blue colour and a small sword in the same colour. They were of a noble kind it looked like! Mithrir decided it was not the right time to question the dwarf anymore. So he walked away. He walked among the new dwarves, and it seemed like he was blending in with the light. Darkness among light. She looked at herself and her baby then. They were more of light than the dwarf Mithrir. " She wanted to give the baby to them" wherever they went, she thought. That she would be safer with them than here. Let her live in the light, she thought and walked towards them. Here! She said tapping the shoulders of one of the dwarves. He looked back and did not speak a word. Just a gleaming smile froze on his face. She gave him her baby! He gladly accepted it. He turned his head and walked away. Arienne was never more happier than ever before. She realised that her journey was over! In this perilous world she did not care anymore if she lived or not. She was happy knowing that her child will live in a far better world than before. She walked out of the caves. A voice beamed through the opening. " You are not the first hylin who sided with the dwarves" he said. Does it matter ? She asked him as her mind had taken a change quickly. What does? He asked her. That there was a hylin before me here?. She turned back in the darkness. No matter how hard you may fight, the darkness shall overcome the light. The dwarf limped toward large her. You are mistaken he said to her. There is no such thing as light and dark. They are the same, he said to her. What ? She asked him. Yes , he said to her. All that matters is how hard you can fight in the dark and live in the light, he said to her!

They are the same thing you see, light and darkness. Different sides of the same side! There shall be light when there is darkness. Every coin flips. She was a bit perplexed. The problem with your kind is. That you are twisted in your minds. You want to live in the darkness and fight in the light! She stood still! The darkness will one day be overcome, like it normally does. But the minds of evil creatures will never be. The will to linger in the dark and poison everything and everyone around it. Growing palaces in them and hunting and fighting in the darkness. It was never an ally to the good! He said looking back at the caves. It was an ally only to the eve il, he said looking at the direction of her. She was a bit embarrassed, and realised there. That the dwarves were not scared of the dark, the only thing that feared them was that an evil craters existed that thrived in the darkness. A fight that cannot be won! She muttered. I too never thought it could, but it can now, he said to her and looked above in the skies as a fire breathing dragon sprang from the skies. There was a young girl on top of it and a few other dwarves. Ilkir, Ilvandir and Buskar! They stepped on the ground clearly disgusted by the darkness that surrounded them. A different kind of darkness, he said as he snarled around. Who are you? asked Ayrovan. Who do you think we are? he asked back at the dwarf. There was only a exchange of smile between them!