Ulfgar Ungart: The Lost Dwarf

I glared up into the rising sun. The heat of it on my face. I resent the very sight of it. My head begins to pound terribly as I turn away for the blinding angle of the sun. The alley way I have found myself in reeks of cat piss, feces, and rotten meat. I work to block out the overwhelming odor as I cut past the beggar who resides behind this butcher shop. I don’t have time for his simpering today I have a schedule to keep, and I could already feel I was running late.

I found my way to the back door and dutifully smacked the center three times with the side of my knuckles, a hard resounding knack-knack-knack.

“Whacha want now!?” boomed an irriate voice from behind the door. The door swung open quickly with a whoosh of air in the very next second. The butchers cragged and pock scarred face greets me with a familiar scowl twisting his flawed features.

 “Don’t get your knickers in a twist Morty. It’s just me. Looks as though your pariah has gone and sloughed off a good one this mornin’. Get me the usual will ya? I’m in a bit of a hurry. I’ll tip ya good for the rush.” I shoulder past the broad man to go sit on the stool left for backdoor orders. Tossing down a small pouch onto the counter next to the stool I settle myself to wait as Morty grumbles to himself as he sets to work wrapping up my order.

“Come on now Ulf, you always say you’re in a hurry, but you always bring me somethin’ to tide me over for da mornin’.” Morty grumbled more coherently and loud enough for me to hear this time.

“Now, now Morty. With that kinda attitude I’ll miss my appointment and end up livin’ the rest of my miserable life here. Not that I don’t love ya Morty. But i’ve got business to take care of in the South.” I lightly chaste him. We have talked about this day for months now. He knows how important today is for my future plans.

“ Besides” I state, “I’ll leave you a little good luck bottle on my way out the door. Now let’s go Morty. I need to get movin’.” I fluster my arms up and down a bit as I get off the stool and remove the Ace In The Hole vodka from my inner cloak pocket.

I set it down in time for Morty to finish with the final package of meat. I shake his hand firmly and give him a side hug, which he returns with vigor. “ You just get yourself that there apprenticeship boy. It’ll all be worth the pain and shame once you’ve got your feet under ya. I don’t agree with what your doin’. But I understand that you need to. Just promise to take care of yourself Ulf. My Barbra would never forgive me if she knew what I was letting you walk into.” He gruffed out against my shoulder. I gave him a firm pat and pushed off from him.

“I know what I’m doin’ Morty. Don’t you worry about me. I have all the cards in my hand.” I give him a wink and take my packages. “Give Aunt Barb my best Uncle. I will try to send word as to how it goes.”

With that I left my uncles butcher shop for the last time. I knew deep in my gut as I walked away that I wouldn’t be back. I would try to send him word every now and again that was true. But I knew he would not want to know the things I would have to do along this slow and laborious journey. The true end goal only known to me. This was but a step along the path I needed to take to regain my birth right. No man would stand in my way from what was destined to be mine.

The glare of the day greeted me as I left the stench of the alley way behind. At least it would be on my back as I headed to the old observatory. The mountainous trek was long and windy. I would need the whole day to make it by sundown. The landscape was rocky and cramped in this overcrowded section of town. The lower income houses that were thrown up hap hazard and with whatever materials they had on hand. Looked doomed to topple down the crevices and overhanging’s onto which they were so precariously balancing. Just last week the most recent earthquake shook loose at least a half dozen homes. Killing almost everyone inside when they finally fell free. As I walked past, I could hear and see people picking through the remains of the homes, which were carelessly pushed aside to make room for thorough traffic. Damned vultures, they probably weren’t even members of the deceased’s families. The only people who are sanctioned by law to look through the rubble. A rule that is rarely upheld. Times were tough. The mines were turning out less and less ore as the winter months drug on. The shortage led to rioting and looters. The desperate and deprived becoming fed up with the limited rations. Everyone turned to violence and theft in that last hard month.  Leaving extraordinarily little for the rest of us who chose to stand by the dwarven way of honor and respect.

I was pulled from my pensive thoughts when a pack of screaming children darted in front of me in the narrow rocky path. They must have been hopping the tops of the rock cliffs to get up this high. The last child jumped past but lost her footing. My hand darted out instinctively and caught the unbalanced thing before she could hit the rough ground. She weighed so little it took truly little effort to lift her back up onto the rock cliff from which she had slipped.

“Th-Thank you, M-Mister.” She stammered quietly.

I grunted and continued trudging up the path as I watch her skidder away and back to her friends.

Hopefully, her childhood was kinder to her than mine was. At least this random child appeared to have friends. Though looks can be deceiving. None of them seemed to be particularly concerned when she fell from the precarious path. Perhaps she was in some sort of initiation run. Not unheard of for children around here. Most neighborhoods were tight knit. Thick as thieves some of these lot could be. She didn’t look like a dwarf child, a fact that would not work in her favor in the years to come around here. If she knows what’s good for her, she’ll get out of here and to somewhere more open and excepting of other races. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that poor child was human. A hard life was ahead of that unfortunate thing.

At about mid-day I stopped to build a quick fire. I been gathering materials all the way up the mountain and lunch sounded appropriate. After the small section of steak, I pulled from my package’s was cooked through enough I began eating it with vigor. No sooner then I had taken my third bite, a quick snap and a series of crashes proceeded the presence of a small body falling headlong from the treetops about twenty feet from my fire. A small familiar form hit the ground with a dull thud. I quickly swallowed my bite and set my meat back down and waited. But the child did not move. It appears the fall knocked her unconscious.