Chapter 20

  “History shapes the future.”—Dwarven saying

  Castle Tower, Cryptonia, Ground Plane

  Jasper went to his room with Harla to begin his instruction on basic dwarvish language structure and continue to learn more dwarven culture. When he asked why he should be educated in both simultaneously, Harla explained it was how all dwarves were taught. By learning their history and social skills, language came more naturally. The entire time Jasper sat with his tutor, he could only imagine what Tolkien might have given to trade places with him. The author’s brilliance with languages had always impressed Jasper, to say nothing of the amazing worlds the man had built.

  But what Jasper remembered of Tolkien’s Khuzdul language and the tongue of the Forest Folk differed greatly. While Thorin Oakenshield and his company spoke the harsh guttural language of Erebor, Harla’s voice was more melodic and featured the vibratory sound deep in her chest unique to her people, which Jasper struggled to emulate. He asked about the graceful hand motions he had seen the dwarves use when conversing.

  “That will come later. Dwarf-sign is for more complex and elaborate speech, once one has mastered the basics.” She made a face when he tried again. “And after much practice.” Jasper laughed despite himself.

  “I’ve never tried to learn a language like yours,” he admitted. “But be sure that I will give it my best effort. I cannot understand where such a deep sound is made.”

  “It comes from here,” she said, putting a hand on her abdomen, approximately where Jasper assumed her diaphragm was—he could only guess at dwarf anatomy. She pressed her hand on his own chest until she felt him breathe. “Yes, here. Exhale the breath and culm’nah,” Harla smiled, using the dwarvish term for ‘speak’. Jasper took a moment to breathe deeply before attempting to recreate the sound she had demonstrated. He let out a long, sustained note, adjusting his pitch as Harla directed until she beamed.

  “Yes! That is it!” She clapped her hands in excitement. “Remember the feeling of the sound in your chest and throat. You are doing well, but it will take practice.”

  “All things of worth do,” he smiled, and she returned it.

  “Make an attempt again. If you continue to do well, perhaps I can teach you a common greeting.”

  Jasper settled into his chair; hands relaxed in his lap as he repeated the process. He spent a half hour practicing until his throat began to grow sore and his chest was tight. Harla said he had made great progress on his first day.

  “Many humans find our language to be too difficult and time-consuming to learn,” she said. “Not all possess the determination or desire required to accomplish the task.”

  “I hope that I prove to be an exception,” he chuckled. She flashed him a kind smile.

  “I must go now. Supper must be tended to, then preparations for tomorrow. Does Milord Jasper have any special requests for our guests?”

  “Hmm. Nothing comes to mind. Oh! I may have to ask you to make some of those delicious biscuits,” he said, laughing. Harla grinned wider and nodded.

  “I would be glad to.”

  ???

  Jasper took advantage of the break in his duties to bathe and change into fresh clothes before settling down with one of the dwarven history tomes Harla had brought him from the Tower’s library. He made a mental note to explore it more when he had time. It sounded like a lovely place to go when he needed to relax and get away from it all. Not that he felt particularly anxious at that moment—the day's events had taken up the majority of his attention, leaving little time for Jasper to focus on himself—but he could definitely see the need for some quiet solitude.

  He flipped through page after page of dwarven ancestry, traced through the maternal family line. He had learned through observation that the Forest Folk were a matriarchal society, with the males looking to their female elders for guidance. Through his studies, Jasper discovered that this was largely to do with their spiritual beliefs in the Treemother. It took some digging, but he finally got a more detailed explanation of who and what the being actually was.

  According to the author, the motherly guardian figure of the dwarven forest lands was similar to the Land that Titus had mentioned, but with a much more solid personality. The old book described the dwarves’ spiritual matron as a caring and kind goddess, her primary focus centered around fertility in all its aspects, protecting the forests, growing crops, and spreading the knowledge of tending the earth. Due to their nature magic, dwarves were excellent agricultural workers and superbly suited to their task of managing the forest. Jasper was making a note to ask Harla about the practical applications of their magic when a servant appeared to inform him supper was ready.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  “Thank you, Leiri. I’ll be down in just a minute.” The dwarf bowed and departed as Jasper scribbled before setting down his pencil and brushing himself off. He picked up the green tunic with gold stitching he had laid out and buttoned it over his simple white shirt before descending the stairs. He passed the marked door on the first landing down. Jasper kicked himself for once again putting off checking out the Aviary, but continued. There were more important things to attend to at the moment, he would have time to explore later.

  Jasper made his way down to the Main Hall to find his guests waiting for him, studying the carved walls and floors. He smiled comfortably and stepped off the main staircase into the Hall.

  “I see you’ve taken an interest in the Tower’s historical record,” Jasper said, loud enough to announce his presence. The four men turned at his approach and bowed.

  “We have indeed, Lord Jasper,” said Garand. “I have had a little interaction with the wood elves of Arhouir in the south. Their language is very similar to this northern tribe, but dwarvish is completely foreign to me.”

  “Both are unknown to me, but I have already begun studying our forest folk’s tongue and culture. I believe it will be quite advantageous to have a better understanding of many of my people, not to mention the past events that occurred here. There is a saying from my home: ‘those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.’ I think that is especially true in this case, since I only know a little about this world.”

  “Ah, that is a wise thought,” Talas nodded. “There are similar sentiments across the Plane that agree with you.”

  “Might I inquire who is instructing you?” Loric asked, cocking his head to the side curiously.

  “Cook Harla, who is at this moment preparing our meal. She is a Tribe-Mother belonging to one of the many families native to the dwarven forest to the northeast.” Loric’s jaw twitched.

  “Really? Taught by the cook. That is quite a…novel concept.” Jasper noted the stiff undertones in the courier’s voice and narrowed his eyes briefly. Even the other messengers looked uneasy at Loric’s clear disapproval.

  “It is wise to search out knowledge in many places,” said Talas tactfully.

  “I had much the same thought,” Jasper agreed, his shoulders relaxing. He had not even realized how tense they had become. Jasper already viewed the denizens of the castle as his friends even after such a short time. With Loric’s demeaning tone at the revelation of Harla’s instruction, he felt the need to defend her. There was a tap on his arm and Calian smiled genuinely enough, bowing.

  “Dinner is moments from being served, sers.”

  “Thank you, Calian,” said Jasper. He held up a hand, indicating the table that had been set for them. It was not the standard rectangular one the group shared before, but a circular disk constructed of various planks. It was not what Jasper had envisioned when speaking to Calian, but he was pleased it had been brought out. It would serve such a small gathering. “Please be seated.”

  Dinner was a much finer affair than Jasper was accustomed to in the Tower. He reasoned that Harla had no doubt undertaken the feat due to the guests present. The dwarf had outdone herself. The table was laid with a large platter of stag slathered in exotically spiced savory dressing. Beans of every bush and vine mixed with a sauce better than anything Jasper’s father—a talented cook in his own right—had made on Earth. There were sweetbreads with crisp shells and insides softer and more pillowy than any Jasper eaten in his own world. After the diners made significant headway through the meal, discussion turned back toward what Jasper intended to accomplish with the respective guilds.

  The frosty air between Jasper and Loric thawed a bit as the evening went on, but the attitude of the Banking Guild’s messenger was still chilly. Jasper again expounded on his intentions to rebuild trade relations between Cryptonia’s major population centers, their counterparts across the continent, and even across the ocean. The messengers were excited by this prospect, and Jasper thought that a good sign.

  “Your masters’ letters indicated an open request to make an acquaintance, but not a specific time,” Jasper said, setting down his cup. He looked from one man to the next before nodding at Calian nearby. “My steward informed me it is customary for a newly appointed lord to host a celebration in order to meet his neighbors, peers, and become familiar with his citizens. What would you say to delivering an official invitation upon your respective return trips? Missives that would set a semi-fixed date in the near future for the celebration to be made more certain as it draws near.” The messengers’ eyebrows went up in surprise.

  “That sounds marvelous!” said Garand, raising his mug in salute to the noble.

  “It would be an advantageous meeting for all,” Calian added smoothly. “I can have the documents drawn up for you before your departure in the morning.”

  “I agree wholeheartedly, Lord,” Talas seconded. “The timing could not be more perfect.”

  “It’s settled then,” Jasper smiled broadly and raised his own cup once more. “To symbiotic business ventures.” They all toasted.

  With supper concluded, the four guests rose and returned to their respective rooms for the night. They had a long journey the following day and wished to have an early start. Jasper offered them provisions and they graciously accepted. Loric looked surprised by his generosity but bowed respectfully. Jasper bid them goodnight and went back to his own rooms to study the books Harla had given him. His hunger for information and understanding drove him to tear through the pages. The faint sound of the hour bell ringing midnight shook him from his intense focus.

  He undressed and climbed into bed before blowing out the candle on his bedside table. He gazed up at the stone ceiling, thoughts of trade, history, languages, and the magically shifting Tower map drifted through his mind.