Dwarven Ruins

Safety was paramount, so much so that Bartholemew was willing to put his own self in danger to assure theirs. The forest had provided a kindness in the form of old elven tricks and spells. The trees whispered that they were once there and still protected the new humans that respected their home. Perhaps not as much as the elves once had but enough for his people to be weary and keep from destroying that which spoke around them.

It was the reason he found himself here, lingering over the outer edge of danger and praying that it would not find him so easily. The stones rose up from the ground, a dwarven design, more stern than beautiful in what it evoked. He’d been careful to do his research, if had to be here, and if it was not than he wasted a trip. The second offense would be if it was and if it did not wish to coincide with magic it was never meant to intermingle with. He let out a prayer to Baleon, an elven god, who he had found glad writings of within his home so long ago. Whether he existed or not he found himself giving him some of his time. Like an imaginary friend that haunted the abandoned place they made their home.

Stealing his courage from where he knew not he would be coming up along the gates. There before it was an odd creature, not a man, nor a beast, but a rather large Bee. He was not allergic but he knew better than to simply wander up to such a creature and therefore he held back, a mere twenty feet down the road and pausing as if caught red handed. He would wait to see what it did, his right hand itching to draw the fletching of an arrow upon his back, his left settled over his knee where his bow had been placed. He approached on horseback, on his faithful mare, who would be remaining outside at safe distance, and who noticed the bee and neither seemed to care or worry after its presence.

He’d yet to take an action that seemed threatening, his hands still settled firmly on either side of his thigh as he watched. The bee floated almost lazily his way. The more he watched the more he was convinced it was intelligent simply because it seemed to be taking precautions and most bees were rather unweary of any creature other than wasps.

Then it spoke. I’m losing my mind, he thought, as he clearly saw it wave, heard it speak, and now that it was close enough it was clear to him it was wearing a sweater. A giant bee clothed that talked and waved, clearly he suffered a concussion somewhere along the road. If he was hallucinating this was a rather interesting one to have and even if he did not believe his eyes he politely offered back, “Good morning.”

Great Bart, talk to the imaginary bee.

Deciding that he had absolutely nothing to lose considering the fact that A. He now truly believed the bee was intelligent, and B. If he was imagining things that it would not matter to start, he felt he could express himself freely. After all if he was losing his mind maybe this bee called Casey might take mercy on him.

“I’m searching for an artifact I believe to be hidden in those ruins, though how accurate my information is I’m not really certain,” he raised one hand and dropped as if to say ‘but that’s life.’ He came all this way and he was not about to turn around, “It’s Bart by the way,” he realized he’d rambled right out of an introduction, “It’s nice to meet you Casey.”

Dismounting he threw the reins over the muzzle of Gem, dropping them, the brown mare used to his cavalier attitude.

Bart kept his laughter to himself, but his face betrayed the amusement in the Casey’s words. He was usually hardly capable of keeping his emotions in check as he was quite jovial but making fun of the little bee was not his intention. In fact he was quite interested in how the little creature had grown to such a size.

Night was beginning to fall, as Casey noted, and Bart was not about to rush into the ruins in the night no matter how urgent his need. Therefore he would, mainly out of curiosity, agree to the little bees question, “I am about to make camp not too far from here, there’s a clearing nearby, you’re welcome to join me there for the night. Along with Gem,” he motioned to the horse.

Gem followed half a step behind Bart as he held the reigns, they never became taut but were loose. The horse was well trained and he needn’t have held them to start but he did so out of practice. “From far beyond Isra,” he confessed to the bee, “I’ve been traveling for months now in search of a way to make my home safer,” he would not mention that it was for his people, because as much as he believed he might be dreaming he could not betray his home, “And what does one such as yourself travel for? If I might ask.”

Ascertaining exactly how the in the world the bee made clothes was his next endeavor and seeing as how he wasn’t quite the gentlemen most of the lords claimed to be it came out immediately, “How are you able to sew?” A second later he realized his folly in speaking in such a forward manner and added, “I’m sorry that was rude of me.”

He looked away for a moment after the bee started to walk. His imagination was surely not this good and if this was a hallucination surely it could not be upset at his musings? Then again he could feel the night air falling against his skin, feel the pain in arm from where he’d over extended it, one did not feel pain in dreams did they?

“Is that so?” Bart looked down to it’s little hands and he would add in his way, “Most bees are too small for anyone to notice such a thing. But I assume you are as your brethren only larger?” Watching him play with a flower he was amused at how he played with it. He had a brace of rabbits to make stew for dinner but he wasn’t sure that the bee would be likely to accept such a thing.

“That would be a thing to see.” Bart had a wistful air when it came to adventure, he wanted to experience, to leave his small corner of the world and seek out that which would give him reasons to feel alive. This trip had partially done so but it was under the guise of making his own home safer. It is said the dwarves could drive away all races with what he sought, an item that released a pulse that kept out anyone with ill intentions. He simply hoped that it was true enough.

“Well you are a beautiful bee Casey,” he finally settled upon, and meant it, his smile genuine, “I am glad to have seen such a wonder.”

"People often judge too quickly as well. I will admit that I was wary because it is not often you see such a thing as yourself but to be cautious is normal. As long as you mean no harm to me I see no reason to harm you."

Camp was set quickly, the skies being clear he chose to sleep beneath the stars and after undoing the tack on his horse he used a small pot in which to toss the rabbit into that he sliced up skillfully. He would offer some to Casey who would have to explain it was not suitable. Bart had mainly done it to maintain his manners because he was fairly certain the little bee would be incapable of eating such a thing.