Digging

Balar glanced over to the dwarf with a half smile and nodded for him to follow. It took several minutes for them to find a patch of ground beneath a tall pine that was free of stones and flora. Balar set Tiella down a few feet away and set about clearing the area.

Dim nodded appreciatively. "Good spot! I chop now, stand back!" He swung his right axe and planted it deep into the ground. "BOW BEFORE ME, GROUND!" he roared and laughed. He pulled the handle sideways and the soil loosened up a little. He pulled the axe out and swung again. This time a small rock jumped up and hit him square between the eyes. Dim yelped, stumbled back and fell on his ass. He laughed cheerfully. "Ground fight back! It's a battle now!" He jumped up, uttered a battle cry and began wildly chopping at the forest floor. It did loosen up the soil a lot.

Balar watched the Dwarf at work. He wondered where the fellow had come from, but now was not the time for such questions. He smiled despite himself as he watched Dim attacking the earth with something approaching pure joy. Glancing down towards Tiella a tear ran down his cheek and tracked into his beard. By Odin he wished she were here to see this. She would laugh so hard.

After a time Dim had made a real impression of the soil and Balar reached into his pack to retrieve his small camping shovel. Usually a tool for more mundane tasks, today it would be put to a more solemn purpose.

“Shall I…?” he pointed the shovel towards the broken earth enquiring as to whether Dim was done with his frenzied attack.

"That look like good for digging!" Dim exclaimed. "Axe only get so far!" His smile faltered a little as he saw Balar's swimming eyes. "You cry. Death sad. Dim knows. I lose people too! But some day, you die. I die. Girl I have for sex dies. Harley dies. Is nature! So, not be sad for death. Be happy for life!" He put a hand on Balar's shoulder and grinned, which would have had a better effect had his teeth been less… multicolored. "Now we dig. Dim likes digging!" And he turned around, squatted and began furiously digging soil away between his legs like a dog.

Balar raised his eyebrows at the unexpected wisdom and then jumped back in surprise as the dwarf began to fling dirt in every direction has he tore into the earth. For a split second rage filled him as he saw some of the dirt falling on Tiella and he gripped his shovel in white knuckles and then a vision of her laughing and scolding him brought him back to himself and he shook his head and began to dig.

It was a shallow grave despite their efforts and they were forced to pile stone atop the soil like ancient cairns that could be found in the Southern Marches back home. They were sweating by the time they were done and Balar leaned back against the tree and rummaged through his pack for a small sealed flagon.

“I thank you master dwarf,” he said, cracking open the seal to release the strong smell of Treno brandy. He took a deep sniff and then a long swig. Closing his eyes he poured a dram on the gravestones.

“Sleep well my love.” he murmured and handed he flagon over to Dim. “Well met.”

"And you!" Dim grinned. He took a gulp, thumped his chest and burped. "You not attack me or make fun. I like you!" He looked at the grave with a measure of sadness, the first time it had shown on his face. "Maybe I like her too. Guess I will know when Dim dead!" He clapped Balar on the back and handed back his flask. "We go back now? Want to meet girl I have for sex!" That prospect brought the grin back to his face.

(joint post GardensTale and LargeHobbit)