Since Marrec was going to be off his feet for quite a while, Gerig volunteered to cover his duties and work on his portion crops until his foot got better. It wasn't like he had anything else to do there. Gerig worked as hard for this kingdom as he did for the village he had left behind. His best effort was more work than what could be accomplished by twenty dwarfs in a single day. Not only was he able to finish Marrec's work rather quickly, Gerig was also able and willing to help out others who were struggling that day to get things going. It was his way to try to earn their trust and try to fit in by helping out as much as he possibly could.
Later that day after cleaning up in a nearby pond, Gerig gathered up enough courage to visit the big house in the middle of the city. He met up with Alyssa and enjoying being around her again. He also met her parents and even enjoyed talking to them as much as they enjoyed talking to someone who wasn't a dwarf for the first time in decades. After lunch, Gerig learned that Alyssa had a ton of chores that she needed to finish as well. Since all of Marrec's work was taken care of, he volunteered and was happy to help her out. Many people watched as the two of them interacted and worked together that afternoon. Many of them giggled and whispered around them like gossips and word of their 'chemistry' began to circulate around the city like a brush fire.
Only a select few knew how to speak Gerig's language, not including Alyssa and her family. Alyssa had agreed to teach Gerig how to speak the language of the Dwarfs if he agreed to help her more around the house. It was a deal that Gerig was eager to accept.
As days passed, the other dwarfs in the fields also began to no longer fear him as they actually started to respect his hard work and dedication. They were even willing to hear suggestions from Gerig and heed the skills and knowledge that had helped Gerig over the years produce larger and fresher crops. Still there were others who were still intimidated by his height which wasn't all that irregular for him since he was even considered tall back home. Gerig decided to let his actions prove his sincerity as he continued to work and help out around the city and help out in any way he could.
It wasn't until later that month, when Gerig's loyalty to Marrec and the rest of the city would be challenged. He was working on a few things in town for Alyssa when there was a sudden commotion that had people screaming and yelling in the streets of the city. As Gerig turned to look, he realized what the problem was, as a huge horse was bolting around with a shiny but very aggressive knight on its back. Taran and the other dwarfs were trying to herd him out of the city and away from everyone's home, but it was no use. The knight was too strong and had an advantage of height, especially since he was on top of his mighty steed. It was a situation that Gerig felt was up to him to take care of. Yet first he was in need of a weapon. As he slowly approached the area where the Knight was causing trouble, Gerig used all the strength he could muster and ripped a lamppost that is usually used to light up the streets at night right out of the ground. Some of the dwarfs watched in awe as Gerig tore the wooden pole right out of the ground and ducked low with it to stay out of sight. The lamppost was well over seven feet tall and was just the tool he needed at that moment. Not aware of Gerig's presence the knight got his horse to start barreling down one of the streets, which Gerig did not hesitate to use to his advantage. He jumped out from behind one of the houses, catching the Knight completely off guard and swung the lamppost as hard as he possibly could. The long and very thick wooden spear struck the Knight square in the chest, which broke the wooden pole in half and knocked the armored man clean off his horse. Taran and the rest of the dwarf soldiers ran over to inspect the Knight who was on his back and most likely unconscious.
"Is he alright, Taran?" Gerig asked as he tossed what was left of the lamppost on the ground.
"I think he's dead, Gerig." Taran said as he continued to look around.
"How the hell did he get in here?" Gerig sharply asked as he walked closer to take a look.
"We usually don't take on knights, Gerig." Taran explained, "He saw one of our guards run in the cave and likely followed him in."
Gerig shrugged off the explanation and dropped the subject as he knelt beside the big knight. As Gerig slowly removed the knight's helmet, the cause of death was easy to identify. The armor had only been mildly dented from the jolt of the lamppost, and had taken no damage to the chest. It was the fall that killed him as his neck had broken upon impact with the ground.
As the other dwarfs were searching the body, Taran came upon something that caught his attention. It was a letter that contained the seal of a King, "Do you know how to read this?" he asked as he held up the small paper.
"I do." Gerig replied as he took the letter from Taran. Upon opening it very carefully, Gerig began to read the message out loud to whoever could understand what he was saying:
Sirus Of Gosland:
I send this message with a dire warning for both you and your kingdom. I have heard from my spies that Lord Dukard is building a massive army with plans to march into your territory and invade within the next few months.
I have sent this letter to make sure that you are not caught completely off guard and have the necessary time to take appropriate actions.
Prepare a solid defense and abandon the villages before it's too late. I pray to the Gods that this message reaches you in time.
Good luck my friend,
Ulath Hortassco
Taran looked back up at Gerig, "Do you have any idea who any of those people are, Gerig?" he asked.
"They're both kings." Gerig said as he looked at the letter again.
"So what is this knight doing here if he had this message to deliver?" Taran quickly snapped back.
"He's not from either Kingdom." Gerig answered as he pointed to a small emblem on the knight's armor, "This is one of Dukard's men. I'm pretty sure this knight killed the messenger to prevent this letter from reaching Gosland."
"So what do we do now, Gerig?"
Gerig paused for a moment and thought about the situation before looking back at Taran, "I'm going to deliver this letter."