Klavis stood there looking at this peculiar grouchy little person. The little man’s annoyance was plainly written across his face. Despite the less than friendly greeting Klavis couldn’t help but break into a smile. “Good sir, we could not help but smell your delicious cooking. Might you share your afternoon meal with us?”

  “What? No!” the old man said in indignation. “Go away! I didn’t move out here to share meals with…” he paused for a moment, really taking in the three people standing in front of his door. The grouchiness on his face melted away, replaced by a blank look, as he paid more attention to the travelers. They were each double his own height, with pointed ears and one of them was as white as snow. He finished his sentence with less certainty in his voice than when he started “… strangle people.”

  Klavis cleared his throat, ignoring the slight change in mood, and continued to grin, not put off by the rebuke, “Yes of course, we are unexpected, and I’d understand not being prepared to feed guests. Will you perhaps open your door and let us rest our feet for a while?”

  Klavis looked at Kamilis and Xecran, they too had grins on their faces. He could tell they were just as excited as himself. This was the first time he’d ever met a…a something new! He didn’t want to pass up the chance to learn more about him.

  “Bah!” the man shook his head, his beard shaking back and forth. “No, no way. If I let you in then you’d start spreading rumors about the generous forest hermit and I’d never get rid of people.”

  Klavis raised his left hand to his heart “If you let us in, we promise not to say a word about your generosity.”

  The old man thought a moment. Klavis caught the man’s eyes taking in Xecran’s and his weapons. He even glanced at Kamilis’ staff. The eye movements were barely noticed, and the moment was brief. He said “Fine!” and then quickly moved back inside, slamming the window closed.

  Kamilis leaned in, taking the private moment to say softly to Klavis and Xecran. “I think that little old man is a gnome. He seems to be the right proportions from the description.”

  “A gnome!” Klavis exclaimed. “It’s right out of some nighttime story. He’s so small, and if it wasn’t for his attitude he’d be adorable. Now, Kamilis, in your research did you…” but Klavis cut himself off as the door opened.

  The gnome stood there, slightly bent from age and he was leaning on a gnarled old cane. He lifted his cane and poked Klavis in the stomach with it. “You tell anyone I’ll know, and I’ll curse you and your family for the next five generations.”

  Klavis raised up his hands. “No need for curses little sir. I’ll tell no one.”

  The gnome looked beyond Klavis and waved his cane. “And that goes for all of you too.” Kamilis and Xecran both nodded. He abruptly turned and started limping back into the house.

  They followed, each one having to duck low to get in through the door. However, once inside, there was enough roof clearance to straighten back up. The ceiling was lower than they were used to, but it was at a comfortable enough height.

  The old gnome was already entering the next room when they made it inside. Without turning around the gnome yelled. “And close that door behind you.”

  Xecran did as he was told and closed the door behind himself. They all followed the gnome to a surprisingly large dining room where he waved his hand towards the table. “Take a seat, I’ll get the food, there’s enough.”

  They walked around the room, looking; the walls were made of paneled wood. It had shelves full of candles that were providing light, and there was a moderately sized wooden table with six chairs surrounding it, but it was otherwise barren.

  It didn’t take long for the gnome to come back; he carried a stack of four plates and tossed them on the table and walked back to the kitchen.

  The three guests each grabbed a plate and sat down. When the little man returned with a large platter, they were delighted to see that it was full of sliced ham with four small loaves of bread sitting on top. He walked to the table and dropped it down. The plate bounced slightly, the food threatening to land on the table, but it all landed back on the plate.

  “I’ll let you eat the food, but don’t expect any drinks. You’re on your own. I’ll be damned if I’m going to wobble myself to the creek for you three.” Then he jumped onto a chair, grabbed a loaf of bread, tor it in half and used it to pick up a piece of meat, completely ignoring the plate before him.

  Klavis nodded. “Of course, we’re just happy that you were kind enough to share any of your food.”

  The bearded man just glared at Klavis and said halfheartedly “Bah.” He took a few bites and then looked at Kamilis and Xecran. “Do your traveling companions speak or are they a bit slow?”

  Xecran was the one to respond. “No, we can speak. You seemed to not want company, so I chose not to bother you with undue conversation.”

  “Well, it makes you look stupid.”

  Xecran smiled “Well, this is a lovely house, did you build it yourself?”

  The man glared. “No, but it’s mine, fair and square! It’s been in the family for generations.”

  Xecran threw up his arms. “I was just trying to have a conversation.”

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  The man, still glaring at Xecran said “Hmpf.“

  Kamilis decided he would try and please the little man next. “I see you’ve been limping; and you need a cane to walk. Your leg must be pretty badly damaged. May I ask what happened?”

  It was Kamilis’ turn to be glared at. The gnome snapped back “No, you may not!” The grumpy man grumbled under his breath. “Rude guests, calling me lame.”

  Kamilis acted unperturbed. “Have you tried to get it healed?”

  The gnome eyed Kamilis. “Yes I did, it didn’t take.”

  Kamilis stopped eating his food and reached into his bag and pulled out a vial white liquid, it shimmered like pearl in the candlelight as the patterns swirled within. “Well, if you would like, you could try this. It should mend the injury.” Kamilis passed the vial down to the gnome.

  Once in his hands he brought it up to his face, closed one eye and examined the contents. “For all I know you’re trying to poison me so you can rob me and take my house.”

  Kamilis shook his head. “No, but if you don’t want to risk it, I understand. Could I have it back please?”

  The gnome looked like he was about to hand it back but changed his mind. he pulled off the stopper and downed the liquid. “That tastes horrible. If you’re going to poison me, at least lace it with some sugar.” He took a piece of bread trying to use it to scrub off the flavor from his tongue. Then he stopped. There was a tingling sensation building in his body as if in anticipation of something unknown. The piece of bread dropped out of his hands as a warm feeling swept over his body. There were small snaps from all his joints, but they were dwarfed by the loud crack that came from his injured knee. He said “Ouch!” as his knee involuntarily jerked.

  Kamilis nodded, satisfied. “Sounds like it’s working. Stand up, let us see how that leg feels.

  The gnome begrudgingly slipped off his chair and took a few tentative steps. His eyes went wide, he jumped up and down from one leg to another, his knee was fixed. He clinched his fists and wiggled each foot without any pain. All his aches were gone, not just his knee injury, but all his joints, even his back felt better, allowing him to stand up straight. He looked at Kamilis and for a moment they all thought they had finally broken through the little man’s gruff exterior, but they were disappointed. He went back to his chair and forced a glare. “Well, it feels like it worked. It better not kill me, or I’ll haunt you.”

  Klavis joyfully spoke up, pointing towards each person in turn as he introduced them, starting with himself. “Oh my, I forgot to introduce us. My name is Klavis, that white skinned miracle worker is Kamilis and that is Xecran.”

  “Well, now you’ve gone and done it. I was hoping I wouldn’t learn your names, now I’ll have to give you mine. Might lead you to feeling some sort of connection. I’ll have none of that.” He paused glaring at each person in turn. “My name’s Fizzlebottom.” He kept looking at each of them and they got the feeling that he expected some kind of reaction.”

  Fizzlebottom went back to his food, for all their kindness, it was this act of not recognizing his name that seemed to convince him to be a little less hostile. “Well, what’s done is done.” He quickly looked back up “Don’t be telling anyone about me or my house!”

  Finishing his food Klavis nodded and once he swallowed his last bite agreed. “Of course, not a word.”

  Fizzlebottom nodded “I’ll want you away shortly after lunch. I don’t have time to entertain guests.

  Kamilis raised an eyebrow “You don’t have time? What do you do out here? I assume you live here alone?”

  “Why, don’t you ask a lot of questions. Yes, I don’t have time, what I do and who lives here is none of your business.”

  Kamilis bowed his head a moment as he apologized. “Sorry to be so inquisitive.”

  Klavis grinned “Don’t mind Kamilis, he always asks too many questions. He can’t stop himself from trying to know everything. What we really need to know is where the nearest city is. Could you help us?”

  Fizzlebottom eyed Klavis suspiciously. “How could you be out here without knowing where the nearest town is? You’d have to go through it to get here. There is nothing but endless forest beyond.”

  Klavis was about to answer, almost wishing Fizzlebottom had kept himself distracted by being stand offish so he couldn’t be so suspicious, but Kamilis interrupted him as he was about to speak. “Of course, of course, we just got lost. We were lucky to have come across your well-hidden home.”

  The gnome glanced from Klavis to Kamilis back to Klavis. “I think you’re lying, but who am I to pry. Less I know the better.” He pointed to his right. “Did you see the creek that’s a few minutes that way?”

  Klavis nodded.

  “Good, go to the creek and follow it downriver till it turns into a large pond. Find where the water exits and then continue downstream until it merges with a river. Follow that river and you’ll find the town.”

  Klavis smiled. “Thank you, my little friend. How long will it take?”

  “Don’t you dare, you’re not my friend! You’re just a passing person who I hope forgets how they got here. And stop calling me little. I’m a regular sized gnome, thank you very much, you guys are just freakishly tall!

  Again, Klavis threw up his hands. “Excuse me good sir, I apologize for insulting your height. Could you be kind enough to let us know how long it will take to get to the town.”

  Fizzlebottom nodded. “That’s better. Now, if you left right this minute you might make it shortly after dusk. So, you should leave, now.”

  All three of them stood up, knowing they had been dismissed. They picked up their packs and started to secure them to their backs again. The gnome also stood up. “Hey, I said if you left now, go on get out. You can walk and tie, no need to do that in here.”

  Klavis was finding it hard to keep smiling, but he let the man shoo them out without managing to get glared at once again.

  It only took a few minutes to get back to the creek and they started their trip. It was very easy going, the land next to the creek was a natural trail. If it were the wet season, they were sure that the area where they walked would have been covered in mud, if not taken over by the stream if it flooded.

  Xecran broke the silence as they came upon the pond “Well that was different. He did confirm he was a gnome though. Do you think all gnomes are like that?”

  Kamilis nodded. “Yes, physically, anyways but I’m not certain about his temperament. From what I remember, they are said to be generally good natured”

  While still walking Kamilis put his hand into his bag and pulled out a book, flipped to a marked page and then skipped forward a few pages. “Yep, matches a gnome…although he could have been a… “He stopped for a moment and studied a page. “A half man or is that halfling?” He closed the book and quickly made up the few feet that he’d lost by slowing down. “The book is pretty old, it’s hard to tell exactly what they meant. Anyways, he said gnome, so he must be a gnome.”

  Klavis nearly skipped and let out and an excited whoop and said, “We met a gnome!” Kamilis looked at his brother with a smirk, Xecran just laughed as Klavis continued “He was an odd fellow, rude, suspicious, but he was new! I never thought I’d ever meet something new and now, now we are traveling to a whole village of new people. Who knows what we’ll find!”

  For a little while the dark mood at their camp and the realization they couldn’t go home was shoved to the back of their minds. They continued to walk along the waterway, only thinking about the journey of discovery they were undertaking.