Fred Tracks The Dwarves
The Never Ending Quest - Episode 86676
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Fred says "Look, Woofy, here are the dwarves tracks! Thanks to the rain, we
won't have any difficulty finding the trail. Maybe I can even teach you to
be a tracking dog."
Woofy lays his ears flat against his head and growls. He seems to be looking at a heap of boulders that lies next to the trail. "Come on, Woofy", Fred says "Quit fooling around. This is serious. We've got to find those dwarves." "You can stop looking, brat...you found us." growls a deep voice. Two of the largest meanest-looking dwarves Fred ever seen step out from behind the boulders. "You grab the dog, Bulgar. I"ll grab the brat." says the larger of the two dwarven guards. Before Fred can even run, strong arms grab Fred and tie him in a neat bundle. "What do we need this stinking dog for, Trog?" says the other dwarf, "Its not good for anything. Leave it here. Sneed never mentioned catching a damned dog. Besides, its growling at me...it might bite me." Trog stands still, thinking and staring at Woofy, who growls and snarls at him as well. "Yeah, you're right", Trog says, "Leave him here. But lets get this brat back to Sneed and collect our reward. If we hurry, we should get back to the caves by nightfall." Fred struggles and kicks but the dwarves only laugh and throw Fred over their shoulders. The dwarves walk steadily throughout the long day without stopping. As the sunset stains the ground red, Bulgar says "Look, Trog...the caves! We're home!" "Good", grunts Trog, "this brats heavy! A bowl of gopher stew will sure taste good." The dwarves bend down, duck under a ledge, and enter a large cavern. Trog drops Fred violently to the ground, where Fred lies stunned. Slowly, Freds eyes become accustomed to the dim light. After awhile, Fred is able to make out the amazing features of the cavern. The roof rises high above Freds head and twinkles like a miniature heaven filled with crystal stars. All along the walls, houses have been carved from solid rock. Each house is different. Some have walls made of glittering gems. Others have crystal windows above window boxes filled with mushrooms and fungus. All have lawns of smooth, soft moss. Bearded dwarven women walk past Fred, trying not to seem curious. But soon Fred is surrounded by a large crowd of dwarven children. It sure is ugly, isn't it?" says one dwarven child. Another says "Yeah! Look at it! It doesn't even have a beard!" A girl dwarf child says "How can it stand to let anyone look at it? I"d just hide in a cave and never come out if I didn't have a beard! Its so NAKED looking!" Fred grumbles "Human children don't have beards." A disbelieving gasp runs through the group. "IT TALKS!" says a child that watches Fred with large, round eyes. Fred says "Of course I talk. I may not have a beard but I"m not stupid. Now why don't you let me loose so I can get out of here?" "Oh we could NEVER do that", whispers a small child, "...not even if you HAD a beard!" The child looks over his shoulder fearfully, then turns back to Fred. "Sneed would be very angry. Everyone is scared of Sneed, even the grown-ups! Some of our dads tried to argue with him once but that was the last time they ever did it! Some of them got killed and the rest got locked up in the dungeons. So we just CAN'T help you!" "We would if we could" says another dwarf child, "It would be nice to have a new friend." "HEY! GET AWAY FROM THAT HUMAN!" yells a loud voice, and the children scatter. Long hours later, soft footsteps pad toward Fred. Then a all too familiar voice snarls as Fred is kicked in the back "Thought you'd escape me, huh? Well, I always get what I want. Foolish brat, you never had a chance." It was Sneed. "A thousand pardons, your great worshipfulness", snivels Snively "But I have a progress report." Sneed says "Well? Get on with it, you crying goat-turd!". "Yes sir" Snively cries, "Goat turd. Very observant of you, sir." "When do we march?" snarls Sneed. "Soon, sire, soon..." Snively whimpers, "I have labored without sleep for days now so that all will be in readiness, sir. The smith is sharpening the last of the blades now. All will be done by morning, sir." "Soon all my enemies will be like dust before me and I WILL BE KING" whispers Sneed. Snively whimpers "How glorious, sir! How magnificent! How splendid! Your greatness will outshine the sun and God Himself and the city will be ours!" "Ours? Ours, you wretched pile of cow puke?" snarls Sneed. "YOURS!" cries Snively, "Yours alone! A tribute to your brilliance, oh wonderful one." "Truly so, Snively." says Sneed, "But we must be a little more modest. It is better understood by the masses. Take this human child, for example. Does it appreciate watching the unfolding of history? The making of a king?" Snively kicks Fred in the ribs and snarls "Speak up, brat...answer when you're spoken to." Fred shouts "I SEE ONLY A TRAITOR!" Snively draws a shocked breath and raises a hobnailed boot to kick Fred again...but hes stopped by the sounds of a loud crash and angry voices echoing through the cave. Sneed says "Its that old fool, Hume Boulderbender! Why isn't he dead yet? Whats he doing out of his cell, Snively?" Peering out of the gloom, Fred sees an old, bent dwarf lying in a tumbled pile of spears. Several dwarves extend helping hands. But at a snarled warning from Sneed, they hurry away. The old dwarf regains his footing and, hands spread before him, begins to move unsteadily forward. Snively giggles and says "It seemed pointless keeping him in his cell...as you can see, he is quite blind. Dwarves who might have remained loyal to their old king will see him as he is now and turn to us." "Snively", Sneed exclaims, "I"m proud of you. Keep this up and one day, you might be worthy to follow in my footsteps. But what of his son, Bork?" Snively giggles again and says "Still locked up in the deepest cells. One Boulderbender is more than enough!" Snively then shifts his gaze to Fred and says "What shall I do with this brat? Drop it in a hole? Feed it to the wolves?" "Do nothing", Sneed replies, "If we dispose of it, its father would probably refuse to map for me. Humans are so tiresome." As Sneed and Snively stand over Fred, Snively kicks Fred in the ribs one more time, then they both walk away. All through the long evening and into the night, Fred watches for something to happen that will allow his escape. At last, Fred falls into an exhausted sleep on the cave floor. Fred is awakened by a hand softly shaking his shoulder. "Wake up, child", whispers a deep voice, "Everything depends on you." Startled, Fred opens his eyes and sees the old dwarf kneeling at his side. A tattered robe covers the bent figure, and white hair flows into a massive beard. Bushy eyebrows hang over pale blue eyes that are covered with a thick, white film. "Say that you will help", pleads the old dwarf.
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sneakypreacher
5/26/2009 2:14:30 AM
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