Dwarf Jewelry Chapter 1
From Grigbertz
Geitre eyed the approaching girl carefully. He'd been up here showing his trinkets to people passing by all day, but noone promising had shown any interest. This might be different though, he thought and stroked his beard. The girl was blond, well built and with a bit of luck she would have forgotten what her mother told her about dwarfs... with a few gestures Geitre reinforced his glamours and he noted with approval that the girl couldn't resist having a look whan she passed by. It was time to get to work.
Geitre made it appear as if he had been standing on the other side of the tree and walked up to the girl who was standing there makeing big eyes at the trinkets hanging from various branches.
"Find anything you like lass? I see you're looking at these bracelets, a very good choice. I bet they fit you perfectly, like they were made for you"
The girl kept looking at the merchandise while she answered: "Oh I don't know if I could afford them..." Geitre had not missed the opportunity to give the girl a good look. He nodded slowly to himself with approval as he imagined what the rest of her might look like. She was by far the most promising girl he'd seen this month he decided, and he took the 'special' bracelets from his pocket.
"No harm in trying them on girlie, isn't that just so? I'm called Geitre, what is your name?" he said as he took her hand gently and put the bracelet on her wrist.
"My name is Eloina" she said as the kind dwarf let her wear the finery for a while. And he was right, she thought, for the bracelets fit her perfectly. She held them up and admired them.
"I have a matching pair for your ankles too, lass. Let's see them on you, you look like a princess." the dwarf said and produced another pair of golden rings from his pockets. Eloina blushed at his jest but hiked her skirt up a few inches so that the dwarf could put the anklerings on her. When done, the dwarf took a step back and admired her.
"I say" the dwarf muttered, "you do look like a princess wearing those. A premonition methinks, and I have not the heart to part you from them. I'll give them to you, if you'll accept the gift. What do you say about that Eloina?"
Eloina's heart almost leaped out of her chest, but she managed to say "Yes" to the kind dwarf called Geitre. Happiness came over her as she imagined every girl envious at her bracelets and anklerings. Gold, no less. Then all of a sudden, the dwarf's smile became very broad indeed, and she almost thought she felt her new bracelets move on their own...
And she soon realized that they did! Slowly they pulled her hands towards eachother behind her back. Eloina tried to resist, but the bracelets wouldn't budge an inch away from the other, but every time they happened to come closer because of her wriggling they took the chance. Soon they were almost fused together. Eloina wasn't scared, just surprised.
"Whats this? Are you doing this, dwarf?"
"One can say that, one can" the dwarf mused, "since I made them. And as a matter of fact, I'm also doing this..." Eloina had been watching the bracelets and didn't notice that Geitre had reached up and were pulling at the bow that kept her blouse together.
"You're no gentleman! Get me out of these at once!" Eloina exclaimed but she faltered at the end and it didn't sound as angry as she had wanted to. This was because, as the bracelets finally fused together with an audible click, something happened. the other trinkets hanging in the tree became fuzzy and she could see right through them. She also noted that the dwarf looked different - he no longer was the happy jovial little dwarf he'd pretended to be.
"Just making your day a little more exciting." Geitre said and she could see him smiling as her blouse parted and the top fell away. She tried to slap him but couldn't get her arms to move, naturally. She hoped she could get out of the jewellry soon.
"As for your other request, I'm sorry but they'll just have to stay on. You accepted the gift and I have no obligation to let you loose. In fact, I think they suit you. You should be honored, because I believe they were made for you."
Eloina stomped her feet in anger and frustration, and noticed a rattling. Looking down she saw that between her anklerings a chain had appeared that let her take small steps, but not run. While she had been looking at the changes, geitre had picked up his knapsack (wich she had not noticed before) and taken a few steps on the path wich eventually led to the capital and the mountains up north. Eloina realized she couldn't keep up with the dwarf now as she couldn't run very well or even walk, unacustomed as she was to having a chain keeping her legs together.
"Oh please" she said to Geitre, "please, I've changed my mind and I wish to return your gift!" But Geitre just greeted her by lifting his hat and started walking. But as he left he told her:
"Well if you're not satisfied with your jewelry after having tried them for 30 days, just come see me and I'll comply with your wishes. But for now..." he laughed out loud after saying the this, and then continued. "You could always remove them yourself, couldn't you? Ha! Now I bid you a good day lass, have a wonderful life and enjoy your gift."
Just as the dwarf lifted his hat to her, Eloina noticed something she hadn't seen before. On Geitres right hand was a scar, a branding or a birthmark in the shape of a star with five points. She couldn't get a good look but she would remember it, that she woved. She stood there and watched him go. No way could she follow him on the mountainpath without her hands to help her, so she needed to decide on another course of action.
Maybe the mistress of her household would know what to do, she thought. She was always willing to give advice when the maids were bewildred and often lectured them on the virtues when they were lazy. So it wasn't the most daring course of action, but Eloina couldn't think of anything else to do. So while thinking about this she started walking back to the village, taking small steps all the way. After a while the chains weren't such a hinderance, and she learned to keep her balance with her hands behind her back.
"This is going quite well..." she thought and got a bit happier. But then another fact of her predicament came to her mind as she noticed another person approaching behind her - her blouse! She hadn't thought about it with all the other strange things happening today, but now she became acutely aware about her bare breasts. She wriggled a bit and tried to get her blouse up but it was, ofcourse, hopeless. As she stood there the man behind her caught up with her.
"Ah, Eloina isn't it?" the man said with a smile on his lips as he eyed her predicament. "What on earth has happened to you then? Do you need any help?"
Eloina recognized him as the local merchant dealing in salt and other spices. "Not from you!" she said when she noticed his looks upon her bare breasts. "You have a reputation to uphold, remember?"
"It pains me that you jump to conclusions just because we're out of sight of the village" he responded and looked sincere, Eloina instantly regretted her harsh words when he only had offered to help her. "But if that's your wish, so be it. It looks to me like dwarf craftmanship and mischeavery however, and those things can be difficult to undo." He started to lengthen his stride again, but spoke once more over his shoulder to Eloina:
"However, keep up your guard Eloina. Just because I didn't do anything doesn't mean I didn't think it... you're a pretty girl - if the chains keep you from plying your present trade, come to me. I'm sure another could suit you perfectly."
They had reached the village and Eloina couldn't think of anything to say to the merchant. She took sight on her household and hoped that she wouldn't meet anyone in the streets until she got back and could ask her mistress for advice.
But Eloina hadn't gotten halfway through the village before she realized that her plan to quietly sneak back to the mansion was a failure. She had forgotten about the market, and the streets were full of haggling people and children. Most of whom were eying her breasts and the dwarfish jewelry as she negotiated the streets. She felt her cheeks flush under the gazes and she felt utterly exposed and helpless, not even able to shield her face in her hands and run away. Well, if it couldn't be avoided it had to be endured. She straightened her back and walked towards home, all the while listening to the lusty whispering behind her back and unable to stop a few tears.
She finally came home and could get indoors, but Eloinas day was not getting any better right now. The mistress of the house was not amused - in fact, she became quite upset when she realized that Eloina wouldn't be able to do her chores.
"What use are you in my house if you are going to walk around like that? I'll teach you to go talking to vagabond dwarves!" said the mistress and soon had Eloina lying over her knees, as if she still was a little girl. A paddle soon made Eloina cry out and her backside sting, and she begged for forgiveness.
"Please ma'm ouch stop it! oh I won't ever ah do it again, I ayy promise! oaah!"
"Hmph! Well, look at the mess you're in. We can't have it, can we. I'll take you to the blacksmith and we'll see what can be done about this. Gold is soft and you should be free soon enough. But let this be a lesson to you." said the older woman to Elonia as she helped to dry Elonias tears with a cloth since Elonia herself were unable to. After a short while Elonia felt a lot better for having been corrected. She got up and together the women went the short distance to the blacksmith's shop.
Eloina had a blanket wrapped around her as she walked the short distance to the blacksmith. After a short explanation, the smith showed them the furnace and stated that he'd try to remove the jewelry or at least break the chain connecting the ankle rings.
"But one never knows with dwarves - they're very skilled artisans, with mastery over the metals one such as I can never aspire too. It is possible that they can forge gold so that it cannot be broken or otherwise undone."
The furnace was smoldering but quickly came to life when air was pumped into it. "Kneel here Eloina, and put your hands on the anvil. But you'd better remove that skirt and blouse or the cinders will ruin them."
"Well the clothes are a loan from my household" said Eloinas mistress, "I wont tolerate any damages to them. Come here and I'll take them off."
Eloina slowly stepped over to her mistress, a bit hesitant because of the smith watching her. But she didn't really have choice in the matter, had she? the clothes weren't hers and no protests would do her any good when it came down to money - her mistress was very aware of economic matters to put things nicely. She stood in front of her mistress with slightly bowed head and waited for her to help her out of the clothes.
"Well, you're lucky the young men didn't see you in the streets or they'd carried you off to some barn" her mistress said as she eyed Eloina. "You're prettier then most". Then she made Eloina turn around by waving her hand, and started undoing her skirt. Eloina stood face to face with the smith, who wasn't hiding that he was looking. In fact, he turned and shouted:
"Son, stop your chores for a moment and come have a look at this" and shortly thereafter a young blond man stepped into the room, eyes going wide but quickly recovering. Eloina thought she'd be annoyed, but she discovered she wasn't. She was quite beautiful, she knew that but showing it hadn't been possible. The smith and his son showed quite clearly that they found her beautiful just by the way they looked at her, and she didn't even have to be ashamed for showing her breasts to them - it wasn't as if she could do anything to prevent it, with the jewelry keeping her hands behind her back. Maybe it wasn't such a bad day after all she thought and returned a smile to the young man.
"This isn't a circus!" her mistress exclaimed, eying the smith.
"Oh come on, it's not every day the boy can study such fine... dwarven handicraft. He's an apprentice after all. And he'll work the pumps and keep the furnace hot while I work, so he still has to be here. No harm done, right?"
"Hrmpfh" was the only response they got, but Eloina could feel her mistress working the knots in her skirt. Shortly thereafter it fell to her feet and Eloina felt herself blush slightly.
"Better come over here so we can get that gold of you" the smith said and pointed at a spot right beside his anvil. "Kneel here and give me your hands."
Eloina walked over to the smith and knelt where he told her too. She had to move around a bit before she could get in a position where it was possible for her to put her hands on the anvil behind her back - it was a bit too high to be comfortable. In the end, the smith had to help her and even then it was not after she was forved to lean forward that the smith was happy with the result.
"There, now I can go to work." he said and picked up a hammer and a chisel - crude tools for jewelry as fine as this, but he assured her that he'd only work on the links, not the bracelets themselves.
To begin with, the smith was sure there'd be no problems at all getting Eloina free and took some time examening the dwarf craftmanship and showing his apprentice. But as soon as he put the chisel to the links and tried to undo them, he began to grunt and got a serious look on his face.
"I don't understand, it's gold, it shouldn't..." but all he got for his efforts were sparks and a ruined chisel. He pulled on Eloinas arms, tried to get them in a better position. It was really uncomfortable and in the end Elona had to tell him to stop or he'd pull her arms out of their sockets. Frustrated, the smith threw his tools into a corner and had a look at the jewelry. Not a scratch. Eloina got up from the kneeling position and looked at the smith.
"Sorry lass, seems there's nothing I can do to get them off you." Eloinas mistress got a sour look on her face.
"You can't remove them? But how is she going to be able to work like that?!?" At this point Eloinas mistress and the smith got in an argument, but Eloina didn't listen. She stood up and examined how far her arms could move, how far her feet... the chains kept her restrained, but not totally... she was determined not to live the rest of her life like this, here. So she remembered what Geitre had said, about that if she wasn't satisfied she should go see him. Eloina took a few steps, testing her limited freedom. Walking carefully was not a problem. She looked out of the smithy towards the horizon, where rolling hills merged with the blue sky. Towards the faraway hills and mountains... yes. Eloina grew more and more determined and after a short while, she stepped out of the smithy and started walking towards the hills.
