He was disappointed when there was nothing there. Deciding he could part with one stein, he placed it in the middle of the stump. It was then the hairs of his neck rose and he looked up to see dwarves emerge from hidden places and surround him, each one threatening him with a sword or battle axe.
“You need to come with us,” one dwarf said.
“I could go back home and we could all pretend you never saw me,” Sordyr said, attempting a show of flippant bravery.
“That won’t work today,” the dwarf said.
They closed in around him and, enmass, warily pushed him into the dwarf kingdom. Sordyr quickly retrieved the stein before they dragged him away.
Fingol gasped when he saw the dwarves emerge and lead Sordyr away. His first urge was to leap in the middle in a vain attempt to rescue the wil
