The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - The Lonely Star -- Chapter 4

mark12_30 · 10-10-2002, 04:26 PM

Phura clapped Tuka on the shoulder, and gestured at the five children. "Watch them, will you?" Phura said to the very surprised Tuka; and beckoning to Gamba, headed towards the tunnel to the river. "Come on. Come with me."

Gamba, very tired and reluctant to leave the study and the boys, dragged himself wearily after his brother, none too enthused.

"All right, we're here. What do you want?" Gamba sighed.

Phura came and faced him, hands carefully placed on Gamba's shoulders. "Your help, " Phura said earnestly.

"With what, " Gamba evaded.

"Getting ready for Nitir and Azra's arrival. We can't just sit around. We need to wake up. We need to fight back. We need..."

Gamba wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Gamba."

"What are all these pebbles doing here? It's dangerous. Someone could break their neck."

"I brought them up from the bottom. They're all the pebbles that hobbits like you and me have been throwing into the water for the past sixty years."

"What of it?"

"Sing and toss. You did it too. Don;'t give me that blank look. You sat here, and dreamed, and tossed in pebble after pebble as you dreamed." Loremaster was right, it suddeny came clear. Suddenly Phura was on fire. "These pebbles represent our dreams. Our hope for freedom. Our longings and desires. We've been tossing them away for so long. It's time to pick them up again, and put them to work."

It was lost on Gamba. "They're stones. Lots and lots of stones. All your studying has gotten to you, Phura." He picked one up, and threw it far into the water.

Phura bristled. "After all the work I did to bring them up, the least you could do is throw it further up into the tunnel."

Gamba snorted with disgust, picked up three more (larger ones this time) and sent them whizzing up the tunnel. They hit the rock walls with a very loud whack.

Phura paused. "Do that again."

Three more; whack, whack, whack.

"Bet you can't hit the same spot every time."

Whack, whack, whack. Chips flew off of the rock wall. Defiant now, Gamba took his anger out on the wall; whack, whack, and there was a small mist of rock dust in the air. Whack, whack... he kept at it until his anger began to subside, and there was a deepening indentation in the wall, and a scattering of egg-sized pebbles nearby.

"Wait, " Phura said. And he ran back up the tunnel full speed.

He jogged back, carrying a lit candle; dripping some of the precious wax, he stuck the candle on the rock wall. Then he rejoined Gamba.

"Put it out."

Gamba chose a stone, aimed, and threw. The rock neatly removed just the flame and left the candle standing. Darkness returned.

In the darkness, Phura smiled.

[ October 11, 2002: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]

10-10-2002, 04:26 PM	#187
mark12_30 Stormdancer of Doom Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars Posts: 4,349	Phura clapped Tuka on the shoulder, and gestured at the five children. "Watch them, will you?" Phura said to the very surprised Tuka; and beckoning to Gamba, headed towards the tunnel to the river. "Come on. Come with me." Gamba, very tired and reluctant to leave the study and the boys, dragged himself wearily after his brother, none too enthused. "All right, we're here. What do you want?" Gamba sighed. Phura came and faced him, hands carefully placed on Gamba's shoulders. "Your help, " Phura said earnestly. "With what, " Gamba evaded. "Getting ready for Nitir and Azra's arrival. We can't just sit around. We need to wake up. We need to fight back. We need..." Gamba wouldn't meet his eyes. "Gamba." "What are all these pebbles doing here? It's dangerous. Someone could break their neck." "I brought them up from the bottom. They're all the pebbles that hobbits like you and me have been throwing into the water for the past sixty years." "What of it?" "Sing and toss. You did it too. Don;'t give me that blank look. You sat here, and dreamed, and tossed in pebble after pebble as you dreamed." Loremaster was right, it suddeny came clear. Suddenly Phura was on fire. "These pebbles represent our dreams. Our hope for freedom. Our longings and desires. We've been tossing them away for so long. It's time to pick them up again, and put them to work." It was lost on Gamba. "They're stones. Lots and lots of stones. All your studying has gotten to you, Phura." He picked one up, and threw it far into the water. Phura bristled. "After all the work I did to bring them up, the least you could do is throw it further up into the tunnel." Gamba snorted with disgust, picked up three more (larger ones this time) and sent them whizzing up the tunnel. They hit the rock walls with a very loud whack. Phura paused. "Do that again." Three more; whack, whack, whack. "Bet you can't hit the same spot every time." Whack, whack, whack. Chips flew off of the rock wall. Defiant now, Gamba took his anger out on the wall; whack, whack, and there was a small mist of rock dust in the air. Whack, whack... he kept at it until his anger began to subside, and there was a deepening indentation in the wall, and a scattering of egg-sized pebbles nearby. "Wait, " Phura said. And he ran back up the tunnel full speed. He jogged back, carrying a lit candle; dripping some of the precious wax, he stuck the candle on the rock wall. Then he rejoined Gamba. "Put it out." Gamba chose a stone, aimed, and threw. The rock neatly removed just the flame and left the candle standing. Darkness returned. In the darkness, Phura smiled. [ October 11, 2002: Message edited by: mark12_30 ] __________________ ...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve.