Good day to you! So I am also rebooting this story and it's chapters. I ignored it for years because I thought I was doing a bad job at it and lost inspiration to keep going. But then a few PM's encouraged me to try again. So I am and I'm trying a different approach in the hopes that it would be a little better. Maybe? We'll find out. Also, I wrote this chapter in a different program so even though I tried to edit it, there may still be some odd misepellings here and there, just warning you. Also this story is dark. It's about slavery after all. So just warning you again, it's dark, but I hope not to keep it that way aaaaaall the time. As always, it's good to hear your thoughts.

" A careless word may kindle strife. A cruel word may wreck a life. A timely word may level stress. A loving word may heal and bless."

Bifur

Bifur was nearly ready to lose his mind and bust out of his cell himself. But someone had noticed his fine craftsmanship of the wooden blocks and took interest. He was bought along with another dwarf to be a translater and extra pair of hands buy a very successful businessman. Bifur sadly moved along with the other dwarf, shoulders slumped, eyes cast downward, doing his best to remain docile and obediant, despite the fact that not knowing where his cousins were was eating him up inside. The human that bought him as every bit the ambitious stereotype of a typical greedy bussiness man. He grinned down at the two dwarves approvingly, twidling one of bifur's wodden models in his hands.
The dwarf's brown eyes slowly lfited to peer up into the human's eyes. Oh he had seen that look before many a times. The look of one who believed in gain through sacrifice by any means neccesary. Politicians, proffesional theives, militery personel even shared those looks at times. He deemed he would not be with this 'master' for very long if selling him made the human more money. The blonde haired dwarf next to him had a very defeatd look on his grizzled face. He hsd scars on his forarms and no doubt the rest of his body. He must have been on this island for years.
"Yes. these two are perfect. Here you are." the man took out a large pouch of money and tossed it to the other behind the desk who imoassively weighed it and wrote out the ownership deeds. the old man glanced at the blonde haired dwarf. " Name?"
"Borajor." the dwarf spoke mechanically. the old human wrote down a few things and stamped it, handing it to the bussinessman.
"Name." He said glancing at Bifur. The haggard dwarf blinked and swallowed what little saliva he had.
the old man looked back at him with an impatient look. "Ask him his name Borajor."
the blonde haired dwarf next to him translated to bifur. " Tell him your name."
Bifur licked his teeth. " Bifur." He finally said.
The old human wrote it down, stamped it and handed the second to the bussinessman. " Master Remorson. These two darves are offically yours now. Thank you for your business."
the human, Remorson, smile and shook hands. he walked to the door and waited as Bifur and Borajor were collared and leashed. they were given to two gaurds that dutifully followed Remorson as he led the way. Bifur looked at the gaurds. They had a light suit of armor that had many notches in it, prooving that they were skillful fighters. Bifur thought ifhe really wanted to, he could probably over power them just long enough for him and Borajor to escape, but Boragor seemed to be such a broken dwarrow he may not even make the attempt to run if he was free, and the sharp knives and whips they had at their sides that could probably be whipped out in a blink, had him reconsidering. It just wasn't worth it yet.
His eyes wandered around the town, not havign seen the place since he was first brought to the isalnd. There seemed to be so many nooks and paths like a maze almost. Also not boding well for his escape plan.
Remorson had a gold chin that dangled from his vest to his pocket, which he often pulled out and looked at. When they stopped to let wagons pass, he saw that it was a clock. Typical.
The dwarf continued to gaze around. How in Mahal's name were these humans able to successfully enslvae elves was beyond him and he wasn't sure if he wanted to find out. He shook his head sadly at the sights. Orcs seemed to mostly be used for construction or heavy labor, and even then they were the bigger orcs that probably would have been some type of leaders back in middle earth. There were none of the more common smaller scrawnier ones. Not that he had any sympathy for any of them, just another preference these odd humans seemed to have. They were such an odd culture. The people dressed and lived in much more cleaner environments. Even slaves had a certain standard they had to be at. They seemed to be a more educated people with a constant thirst for change or improving, yet for all their higher society living, they still practiced a very ancient and barbaric industry. They probably would have been decent people had that not been a detail here.
The man led them to a large elaborately built gate that opened when they approached by another gaurd. Inside was a large estate where he could see in the feilds were more folks were either tending to it or cleanign out the large barn on the opposite side; and on the opposoite side was another large barn like buidling. Swiftly his group was marched to the second building. Remerson threw open the door and walked proudly in.
It was cooler inside at least. He saw rows of work benches, raw materials, a large water vat on one corner, a second story where others were workign too. Quite a few more slaves were in there, sewing, weaving, blacksmithing, carving ad chipping at new furniture. No wonder he was so wealthy. He had a strategy of buying the slaves that had specific talents that he could really make some moeny off of.
"This is your new home." Remorson said to Bifur and Borajor. " Here you will work on your craft. Put themon the stands when you're done and you shall be properly rewarded. Disobey and you shall be properly punished. I've no time for dilly dally."
Borajor translated for Bifur, unknowingly realizing that the dwarf could understand him just fine. Bifur gave a nod in repsonse. He was taken to a wood working bench. " You can continue making those nice models youwere doing in the big house here for me now. BorajorI understand you are a good tailor, your desk is across the way. the others shall show you around and how things are run here. As you were." the human said and swiftly left the building again. Gaurds watched them with squinted hawk eyes from corners where they were out of the way.
A human lady came by, setting down a large mug of water on his desk and other desks. Bifur sniffed at it and quickly guzzled it down, wiping at the corners of his mouth when done. Set in front of him was an array of tools he had in his own workshop in Erebor.
He sighe heavily and went to workon designing a few of the easier models of animals. The day went on like this, he carved his models, watched the gaurds, observed the other slaves and quietly continued his work.
When the sun was setting, tools were being put back, work stations were being cleaned off. Bifur mimicked everyone's actions and followed the crowd as they went to some other large room at the side. Men went to one side the women went to the opposite room. In there was the sleeping quarters. Basically made beds lined the walls. old shets stuffed with hay were made into makeshift mattresses. shabby tables and stools were in the middle and small windows, too small for even a hobbit to squeeze through.
Piles of hay were stufed in some corners, probably as a means of insulation. He heard locks clank together and turned back to the door to see gaurds locking them inside. Horror gripped him then. what if something bad were to happen? a fire? an invasion? People going mad from the inside? The womens room was also locked. His eyes fell with sorrow. He stood there staring at the doors even as the guards left.
" Come and rest. We'll be beack at it tomorrow." A male human said from the side. He tilted his head when Bifur did not respond. " Oi there.'he said gently and gingerly laid a hand on his shoulder. Bifur turned to look up at him. The man was wiry and skinny even for a human. He looked at the dwarf with wide eyed curiosity at the axe in his head. blinking rapidly he gave a small nod and gestured to where other dwarves were bedding down for the night. Bifur gave the tiniest nod and hobbled over to the others. Judging by the slight wave in hair, the majority ofthese dwarves were from the iron hills. Dwarves were known for having feirce or jovial eyes, before him were sunken tired and lifeless eyes, almost like those in a haze. What happened to them, that could break a dwarf's will so?
One gestured to a spare bed for him to claim. Bifur starde at the dwarves still out the corner of his eyes, like they weren't even truly his kin, machines that were made to lok like them, so foreign in their behaviors. Dread filled Bifur again. How long until he too was a flesh made machine? Has the same fate already befell his cousins?
The dwarf groaned at his thoughts as he made his way to his own bed, testing it's strength under his weight before getting too comfortable. Bifur was once a soldier, he was no stranger to hard life. It seem dethat every time they found some sort of a good life, something was thrown at them to put his family right back between an anvil and a hammer. He had worked hard to devize ways of making his family survive on minimum, but secretly gaining a good winter's stache'. This however, he had no idea how to get out of. He knew hed have no help in trying to escape or rebel form the fellow slaves either. All seemed too beaten, no kind of fire to drive them to do anything more than what the master bids. Worse than pets it seemed.
Bifur stared up at the wooden ceiling, eyes lazily turning to the narrow window. He would still refuse to give up hope, but had things really goten any better? Many light snores and shuffles filled the large room, reminding Bifur what time it was. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to try to relax enough to get some sleep.

Some time later... XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bifur had carved quite a few toys and even helped with wooden furnishings. The master was pleased with his work as they were put on the shelf and shipped to the master's store and so forth. He was rewarded with an extra serving of food or a better coat, all of which he shared with the other slaves when the gaurds weren't looking. He did his best to be as invisible as possible, keeping his head down and working silenty with each passing day.
" You are so skilled as a tailor." Bifur said to Borajor. " Why were you in the slave house and not already with another owner?"
" My previous owner had a few tax problems and had to sell most of his slaves back to pay his taxes." The blonde dwarf answered. He easily stiched in a pattern on what would be a house robe.
"How long have you been a slave here?"
Borajor rethreaded his needle with another green thread, thinking on the answer. " Forty years, give or take a few."
It saddened Bifur at how nonchalant he had answered. " Forty years? Where did you hail from?"
" The Orocarni mountains in the far east." He answered.
Bifur's head automatically turned back to him then. " Truly?" He had never been to the red mountains before ans always had an interest in going one day. Rumor has it that the dwarves there had a light tinge of red in their hair that gave them some of the more rarer hair colors. Judging by the darker skin Boragor had it was no longer a surprise, though even some folks of Erebor had darker skin. Boragor's hair did in fact have a slight reddish tint that looked even more golden than fili's hair. It probably would have been just as shiny as polished gold if he weren't a slave.
Borajor caught his stare and gave a quiet snort. "Yes yes. quite a rarity I am." he finished one row along his stitch lines. "Should I expect company tonight then?"
Bifur blinked out of his study and turned away swiftly. "Men Gajamu. I apologize, I did not mean anything by it. Certainly not that."
Borajor gave a humorless laugh. " No matter." He turned back to his work. " As if I've not done worse 'afore."
Bifur's eyes made an involuntary cursery glance at him. " Did you...?" He cuaght himself befiore finishing the question.
" Aye. Had many a job since being here, my second to last was in the brothel till they brought in the silver dwarf. Guess gold is out of style temporarily."
" Silver dwarf?" Bifur replied. "What silver dwarf?"
Borajor shrugged. " He's not from the red mpiuntains thats for sure. Very pale in skin, braided hair in long silver waves everyone kept wanting to touch."
" His name?"
" I am unsure. I did not have much chances to speak with him. I could tell he had a taste for the finer things in life before coming here too."
Bifur mulled it over in his head. Just those smaller details was enough to point to Dori. He surpressed a shiver, not at all wanting to imagine the eldest brother resortng to such debuachery, not unless his own brothers' lives depended on it. But the likelyhood of the three actually all being together was a desparingly slim likelyhood.
He finished polishing his latest moel of a wolf and set it in the tray with the othres he had finsihed. Once the tray was full he went to the shelves where all the finished crafts would be.
There was suddenly a loud crash behind him and a scream of pain. Bifur whirled aroudn quickly, along with the other workes as they stopped to see what had happened.
there was a crowd gathering st the other side of the building. He simply could not see over some of the taller humans' heads, so he climbed up on a stool to see.
There in a heap of what looked like some over turned desk and furniture lay a woman under it, a look of oain a nd fear on her face. a few folks moved to pick nup the debris on her. Bifur pushed his way to the front to help. He pushed off the overturned desk and and searched her body for injuries. SHe gasped as she moved her ankle. it was twisted, possibly broken.
Bifur gently laid a hand on hers, silently asking for permission to help her. she didn't flicnh from him, so he put his hands under her and scooped her up.
Gaurds came up demanding what happened.
" she's injured. " bifur said in khuzdal. A gaurd roughly pushed his way forth, not caring about nearly knocking another woman down in the process, and stretched out a hand towards her; but the dwarf gave a low growl and turned half away from him giving him a warning look.
The gaurd paused and gave him an incredulous look. " Stand down dwarf." he told him. " WHat ' happened to her?"
" Nothing sir, there was an accident with an old desk that was crumbling already. We're still waitign on supplies to build a new one and it finally collapsed, took us nall by surprise is all." Another lady answered.
" SHe's injured. she needs tending." bifur said.
the guard looked down his nose at him. ' what did he say?"
another brunette dwarf steppedn forth. " he said the lady is still shaking with the shock of it all, nothing to worry about."
Bifur gave that dwarf an odd look. Why did he not tell the truth?
The gaurd loked at the injured woman. " Are you well?" he asked with no hint oc true compassion.
The woman nodded shakily. " Y-yes. I'm fine i, he was right i just got scared was alll. I'll be fine."
the gaurd prused his lips and gave a curt nod. "Good then." he said and turned on his heel with the other guard in tow. A gathered sigh of relief came from everyone's throat.
Bifur turned toi the brunette dwarf. " why did we not tell him about her ankle? she cannot walk."
" If any of us are too injured to continue working, and we do not prove a good enough asset to the masters' income, we are killed or sold." he explained in khuzdal.
Bifur could not believe what he was hearing, as if this place could not get anymore miserable, he got surprised again. The lady gave a shuddered breath and shifted to get on her feet. Bifur shook his head and held on tighter. " If no one will help her properly i will do it myself." he said as he walked to the men's sleeping quarters. The lady glanced at him with the same look of confusion and fear. " what are you doing? where are you taking me?"
Bifur lokde back at her with his softest expression that he'd give to bofur and bombur when they were just dwarflings. he made a pointed look to her ankle as he jerked his head to it hoping she'd get the hint. she didn't though as she whimpered a bit in fearand when she saw the bed she gasped and tried to escape.
"Easy lassie." borajor said as he seemed to appear out of nowehere. " He cannot speak westron, but all he wants is to tend to your ankle rightly." the dwarf had his arms crossed loosely over his chest with an almost bored expression on his face.
the skinny woman calmed a bit and allowed him to set her on the bed. he kneeled in front of her and gently prodded it, examining the ankle while borajor talked to her.
" It's not completely broke at least. It's cracked." bifur said.
"how long will it take to heal?" the other dwarf asked
"Six weeks. If she takes care of it properly." bifur replied as he made a makeshift splint with a couple of broken wood peices and wrapped it up. " this will have to do for now."
borajor forwned a bit and the lady looked horrified.v " Six weeks? I cannot hide it for six weeks. They'll find out. They'll watch us and see I'm acting differnt and when they find out they'll take me away-"
" ssssssh git Therah." Bifur cooed patting her knee as he spoke to her.
Borajor translated after him. " I will help you. we'll keep it hidden from them."
" Who are you?" she asked.
" Bifur." Borajor answered.
the woman gave a small nod as bifur worked. " I am Yulie." she asnwered softly. Bifur smiled up at her and scooped her up to take her to a desk next to him. he got many curious glances, but no one spoke other wise about what was happening. some other female moved her work tools to the new desk for her to stay.
He smiled at her once again before getting back to his own work, making sure she was as comfortable as anyone could be in this case.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A large mug of water and a plate of bread and cheese was set on Bifur's work bench. He grinned at it and chuckled, smiling as he took a grateful pull of the water.
Yulie smiled at him. she grabbed a spare cloth and gently dabbed at his forhead where some sweat had accumalated.
Bifur looked up at her, eyes siftening to see her rare smiles. He had carved out a much better splint for her during his days of working. he'd always carried her for the most part to help keep her off the leg as much as possible.
" Why do you call me that? Get Tera?" she askd
" Git therah." bifur pronounced slowly for her. he held up a carving of a bear and pressed itin her hands, gently pushing it towards her.
" Bear?" she asked.
" It means little bear." borajor said from the side, foling up a finished tunic.
" Little bear? why would you call me that?" she asked bifur in confusion. He asnwered and Borajor translated.
" He says its becuase you are brave, like a bear."
she lady frowned a bit." brave? me? I am but a slave. Were I brave I'd fnd a way out of here." she said sadly. Bifur however was shakign his head in disagreement pointing at her ankle while borajor once again translated.
" Every day you wake up, going about your work, with your hurt ankle, knowing nthat if some guard catches you you may be in trouble and you still face it. that is brave." Borajor said not looking up from his seam line.
Yulie gave a small smile at bifur as she hugged the bear to her chest before limping off to her desk.
" Is that bravery?" borajor asked in khuzdal. " or is it loyalty bought out of fear?"
Bifur half glared at him. "Bravey." he said stubbornly. " And that's what we are telling everyone."
Harin, the brunette, snorted." It will do no good raising false hopes. No one will come to rescue us. and even if we did escape. where would we go? we need a ship to get off the isalnd completely."
Bifur was shaking his head still with every word. " Broken you may be, but until they break me I will not admit such defeat."
"We'll see how long that lasts." The brunette rumbled again.
Bifur felt like all this depression and lifeless air will littereally ha, ve him gaging and choking, desperatly hoping to at least stick his head out a window or something to get away from it.
Eventually that waw nound to happen.
While working on another model of a ram, a gaurd came up to his desk. " Dwarf. The master wishes to speak with you." Bifur looked up at him with a blank expression until Borajor did his job as translator.
Both him and Borajor got up and were escorted out of the barn and towards the Big House. His eyes fell onto the vegetable feilds on the oppposite side, nwhere many more slaves worked at the lands, manipulating it for the plants to grow better, or harvesting the already bearing produce.
He was escorted inside the parlo of the big house. No doubt obviously the home of a wealthy owner. Hardwood flooring, decorative candle holders on the wall, and vases or portraits and rugs furnished the house.
The gaurds escorted the dwarves to a side room that served as a large office and standing was the bussiness mn that bought them, Remorson. The man turned around, his lips curved upward in a hint of a smile.
" Ah, my little toy maker, and newest taikor." he greeted. In his hand was one of Bifur's toy models of a horse. He stepped towards them a bit, eyeing them up and down. " You seem to be doing well."
Bifur nearly snorted. Obviously he'd want them to be well if he was making money off them.
"Your little toys are making are fetching quite a nice price in my store. Truly I have made a good investment in you both." He went on to say. " If you keep up this good work, perhaps I can reward you better. I can arrange personal sleeping quarters, new beds. What would you like?"
Both the dwarves hesitated to answer, looking at each other for ideas. Thgis might be some trick question. Remorson chortled quietly. " It wuold be in my own best interests, to take care of what I make money off would it not? That is how it works on my plantation. You do well, you get a little reward. You do bad, and I get rid of you."
" New tools, for everyone, I believe would be good. needles are starting ot tarnish or break. Desks are getting wobbly and carving tools are getting dulled." Borajor offered hesitantly.
Remorson gave a small nod. " A reasonable request. Give me a list of what you need and i shall put an order in for them, within reason of course." He regarde Bifur next, to which Borajor translated.
" Medical supplies? Is anyone sick?"
" No sir, but it does not mean it will not hapen. The desk falling apart and nearly injuring someone was quiet an eye opener." Borajor continued to translate. "and medicinal supplies would help for the winter."
At this, Remerson went quiet, pensive as he gazed at the dwarves. "Thing is, I can always get more slaves. I can have them tuaght the line of work and use them up till they fall apart. I've already had new stoves put in the sleeping rooms. If they want more they must work for it themselves, and I will ask them the same question I ask you." He explained in such a nonchalant way, an all too familiar coldness he had seen in even middle earth.
"I have always enjoyed echinacea flowers and sunflowers and all kinds of seeds and nuts to eat or make into teas." Borajor translated.
Remorson did finally nod at that. "Comforts of home. I shall have it arranged for you."
Bifur saw Borajor bow and he mimicked his movements once they were dismissed.
He glanced again at the farmers at their work. Their barn was bigger of course, and he wondered if anyone ever actually took a horse and tried to escape. Was there even a safe place where a large amount of slaves could go and not be cuaght again? Their best chances were to just get off the island completely. Bifur wasn't even going to bother thinking of the complications for that right resistedthe urge to sigh as he walked back to his asigned barn.
once it was the two of them at their desks, bifur grumbled as he worked. " We need ways of being a little more independant of this master. That's how he controls everyone here."Borajor looked at him like he was crazy, a lookBifur was already familiar with too. " You heard me right."
" And just how doyu plan on ding that? Ands why? what are you wanting to accomplish in the long run?" Borajor inquired.
Bifur merely shrugged. As much as he'd like to agree with the little voice in the back of his mind telling him to find a way out of here and even a way to get everyone else free, he had to think logically. He had to start small. " Pillowcases."
" What about pillow cases?"
" Make plain old pilow cases, with makeshifts straps for all the slaves to hold things in." Bifur imstructed.
Borajor watched him a moment. " And what will they store in those bags dusguised as pillowcases?" He asked slowly in a lowered voice.
"Simpler things that they will not need to rely on the master just to get. If someone gets injured on the job or sick, they will not have to worry as much about not recovering in time, with proper medicines or extra change of clothings, unperishable foods and the like."
Borajor licked his teeth in the heavy silence before he turned away with a small nod.
The 'pillows' consisted of scrap fabric that supposedly had to no use anymore, roughly sewn together in strong but unproffesional stitchings.
Between food breaks and some times at night, borajor and Bifur would make helped too, even tried to get a few of the women to help, but so much had lost their spirits that they were truly on their own. bifur continued to work hard at his carvings, and even helped other woodwork like smal furniture in order to stay on the master's good side. The next day after his request, the gaurds that distributed the food started bringing him an extra bag of seeds and nuts for him. The dwarf would eat one or two handfuls, and store the rest. He asked Borajor to come up with new subtle changes in style so he could present them to the master and see if he approved of the changes. To his, and the master's delight, he did. It didn't quite bring them more money for a while, but it did gain Bifur more approval by the master, which is really what he wanted. Remorson was not a man who over exagherated his feelings, in fact he wasvery subtle about most of them. So when he gave one of his smiles, it was a good sign.
HIs next request was that they could have their own personal garden of vegetables and flowers. It would be very good for morale. Remorson did not seem convinced by this reason, his nod was slow and hesitant, making Bifur worry a bit if he might be suspecting something. He breathed easy the next day when he saw that someof the farmer slaves had been brought over to till a patch of earth and start that garden of requested vegetables and flowers. They brought with them plants that were already up to three feet tall. The slaves looked on in curiosity at them as they worked. Some snorted, while the younger still glanced back and forth with interest at the new change. Within two months, Yulie's ankle had heeled enough where she no longer needed it wrapped and could walk normal.
That night when it was time for bed, he noticed he was recieving a few envious glowers over shouilders. As much as he wanted to find some way to make ammends, and say he was ging to share, now was not the right time. If he did that, he may cuase some kind of riot or discord where they'd start fighting to get on his good side, or fighting to take what he already had for themselves, or even try to steal from the garden.
Squrriels. He'd call them. Squrriels athat hopped around taking whatever they can get as fast as they can as long as they can.
At one point, one man had openly stared at him from their sleeping quarters, not at all a happy look but of one planning ill. Bifur knew very well how to read body language.
The dwarf paused and slowly turned to regard him with his own hard stare until the human sneered and finally spokehis thoughts. " Trying to keep the master's arse clean for him are you?"
Bifur didn'teven blink.
"You keep that up, it'll make th erest of us look bad. Some of us are already breaking our backs trying to keep up with demand and the whip off our backs, and you have to come along and raise the bar. Accursed dwarf."
Bifur did not verbally respond. He turned back to his boots, taking them off moment to air out his feet and socks.
"Some of us have been trying for years to get a request granted to us, and here you come in just a few months haven' given two." the man sneered with envy.
At that mention, Bifur rescieved many more unfriendly sidelong glances.
'I'm trying to help us get out of here.' he thought. Words he had to bite the inside of his mouth not to accidentally spit out. But now wasn't the time. Borajor had at one time suggested making blankets to use as the pillow padding, an ingenious idea. Bifur wanted these made before they were distributed to everyone.
"We have our own garden now to grow extra food. That's not so bad a request.' Another man said from the opposite side.
" Yeah? WHat about having less gaurds over our shoulders? More raw materials or a day off for us all to rest?" the first man retorted.
Bifur did like the third option. He ran a hand through his beard in thought.
"You expect us to believe you'd actually make those requests?" another man gruffed as he added another log to the stoves in the middle of the room. " Or would you not be just as selfish in your own desires?"
The first huffed and crossed his arms over his chest grumpily, finally dropping the subject.
Bifur laid back on his own bed, face as still as stone, but heart like a waterfall of tears and sorrow. That night, he remembered closing his eyes, but not actually falling asleep. Being a dwarf who always taught and treasured the simple things in life, loving to make others happy more than gold itself. He was known for and very proud of his generous, kind and compassionate spirit. Now forced to reside in a place where all of that passion was used for selfish desires, Bifur lay in bed a tormented spirit.
Despite his mind, at least his body did get some kind of rest as it did not lag or show much signs of lack of rest the next day. His nights were a hit and miss when it came to a good night's rest until he had grown better accustomed to the schedule and the people he worked with finally.

Well, there we go... I really wish I was a faster writer. But all in all, I am more satisfied with this chapter, than with the way I was going with the story previously. I think this way opens more doors and also more interesting to read. Please let me know your thoughts on it. (^_^)