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. Time and miles were behind Krog since his
awakening, but still he had found no one.
It was as though the world were an empty place, and
he the only being on it. Confusion and sheer loneliness
drove him on, though his search seemed more and more
hopeless.
Then, atop a barren caprock hill, he heard voices.
People - somewhere - talking among themselves. With a
whimper of sheer glee, Krog searched for the source of the
sounds, his eyes alight, his ears twitching. He saw no one,
but after a time he heard the voices again and found where
they came from. Amidst a pile of rubble was a hole in the
ground, and somewhere below were voices, coming nearer.
He knelt, peered into the darkness. He could see nothing.
He tried to lower himself into the hole, but only his head
would go in. The hole was far too small for his shoulders.
He backed out, sniffling in frustration, and heard the voices
again - various voices, close enough now that he could
almost make out the words.
Knowing nothing else to do, Krog lay beside the hole,
listening. The sound soothed and comforted him. He was
not alone after all. He sniffled again, and tears glistened in
his eyes as he closed them.
*****
The old seep wound upward, and upward again, and the
gully dwarves followed it, their candles casting weird
shadows on the stone walls. It was slow going. Whatever
had made the cavern shake and had sealed its entrance, had
littered the tunnel with shards and slabs of broken rock
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