Mud

“Aragorn, no matter how you may ask me, bid, cajole, threaten or order, I will never do this again.”

“Be quiet and push.”

Halbarad groaned. “What do you think I am doing? I swear to you that this is the hugest mud puddle I have ever seen. And of course we are right in the middle.”

The progress of the cart was minuscule. Halbarad glanced to the party of dwarves that was sitting under the relative shelter of a tree, hoods drawn deeply into their faces.

“Why do they never help us?”

Aragorn shrugged. “Maybe because they pay us.”

Halbarad slipped and almost fell face-first into the mud. Finally the cart moved to where the mud was a little less. Aragorn pushed his wet hair out of his eyes.

“There, see, we did it without their help.”