Beneath the Mountains Music Woke by StarSpray

Beneath the Mountains Music Woke

Legolas knew a little of Dwarven mountain cities. He had visited Erebor on many occasions —most since the completion of the Quest—and his own father ’s halls had been delved with the help of dwarves long ago. And of course there was his brief glimpse of Moria, which had been, in Sam’s words, “an eye opener and no mistake.”

But he had never visited Dwarven halls that were yet under construction until he came to the Glittering Caves. Gimli had settled well into the lordship of the caves, and the friendship between the dwarves and the Rohirrim was growing deeper and stronger every day.

Inside the caves, though, few Men went, and the dwarves were busy as bees. Or perhaps ants. It was remarkable to watch them transform the place into a livable city while doing nothing to diminish the natural beauty.

And there was always music, too—singing and chanting in the Dwarven tongue. Gimli had taught Legolas a few words, but not nearly enough for him to understand what the songs were for. “Are they working songs?” he asked Gimli as they sat by one of the underground pools, while a few workers across the water sang as they marked the walls with chalk. For what purpose, Legolas did not know.

“Yes,” said Gimli, “but they are more than that also.”

Legolas had been thinking of hobbits and their walking songs. “How so?” he asked.

“Our working songs are also songs for Mahal.” Gimli tugged thoughtfully at his beard, which was adorned with golden beads and a few scattered rubies, glinting in the lamps as he turned his head. “It was he that taught our first fathers to speak, and unlike you Elves and Men, we have preserved our tongue as it was from the first. It is sacred, as is the love he gave us for the depths of the earth and all the beautiful things that it gives us.”

Legolas dipped his fingers into the water, watching the ripples spread out across the glassy surface, setting it aflicker in the lamplight. “It is as we elves hold the stars in reverence,” he remarked, and added, “I am honored to be permitted to hear your songs.”

Gimli smiled. “Anyone can hear them,” he said. “But only we and Mahal know their meanings.”