Legend 4 - The Stone Ring

Legend 4 The Stone Ring (From Fables & Legends from the Shadow Clan)

There was an early Dwarf who learned the craft of mithril shaping at
the side of his great grandfather, such was the custom in the old days.
Yet, despite his constant education, the young fellow could not maintain a
concentration of thought on his profession ordained to be. Instead he
would use every opportunity to slip away and explore the abandoned
Goblin cave nearby. His grandfather was always cross with him for
neglecting his studies and duties and would always be rather intent on
recalling his focus to his traditional callings in manners that were less t
han polite or painless. The great grandfather, however seemed to be beyond
all that noise and struggles, and gave the wayward student his leave when
asked forbut always with a little task to bring back some minor stone or
twig from his wanderings, thus the term 'stone bricking' was made common in
the land for it was a favorite way of the old'ers to excuse the non-working
youth.

Nevertheless, one day the Dwarf returned and went straight to the forge
and worked on a special project for a whole day without stop. Industrious
though his race was, this was astounding for this fellow. What emerged
was a small stone ring. Peering at it from a hidden alcove, grandfather
became quite amazed and as the boy rushed out of the shop he was followed
by the curious peaked gray beard. With hardly a care as to his footing,
the boy moved quickly to the Goblin cave and into its darkest passages,
all the time with a grandfatherly shadow not far behind. There he came
upon a small opening into a haze of netherlight where there was a robed
and caped figure seemingly transparent in the dusty fog. As terrible as
the stories of demons and netherworld horrors pounded through the grand-
father's childhood memories, he found himself entranced and not afraid
by this apparition. The boy reached out and gave the figure the ring
and in the other hand he held a small stone. The figure nodded its head
and took out a jeweled pen that glowed with blue magic, the kind that
story tellers call Runewriters, and on the ring a rune it made that flared
at first and then disappeared, along with the figure and the stone offered
by the boy.

The next day at the forge the boy was working with his mind drifting
to different things, when his grandfather came and again directed his
attention to his work. A terrible shouting and argument then broke out
with the boy finally putting on the ring to disappear, then coming behind
his grandfather he would slip the ring off and appearing he would shout
some more, on and on this went around the forge causing such a stir that
the Great grandfather could take it no more. He reached out and grabbed
both of his off spring and in a sternest of voices that seemed almost to
come from the walls themselves spoke: 'I am the teacher, which of you
needs that lesson?...young fellow we do not need to hide from our work,
it will not come after us and hunt us down, it will not burden thee unless
you place it on your back and it does not call you if you will not listen.
...but if you deem it to be done then I will continue to show you but one
of the ways until you learn your own way, so do not hide from us for we
do not seek you, only hope to teach you."

From then on the grandfather was a little more cautious in his meddling
and the young fellow, never did become a great smith, but he always shared
his adventures with his great grandfather who seemed to collect his little
stones in all shapes and designs.