Core

“Firo, the land will compel you even if he doesn’t ask.” Sila addressed the small hairy humanoid as if it were a stubborn child.
“Eh no ask en pussobly eturn to dun ocks eforn he will ush to go.” He cast an innocent smile and twisted to ignore her, sending his dreads into a twirl as he sought to ignore the smaller creature that was interrupting his
“You won’t ignore me either Firo, remember it was my arrow that put you to sleep long enough for him to work it free from your hoof.” She knew she had him when he stopped. “I do request your assistance with your own tools the same in providing him the warmth he needs to travel to the Frozen Lands of Winter.”
He turned back slowly, considering the ground and shaking the curtain of hair. He did reach for a pair of shiny oversized scissors from his side though. He held them before his face and the curtain that had fallen before his face parted itself of it's own accord so he could regard the shining tool. A single dread separated from the rest. He spoke more to the hair of his own head than the sprite above him. “Aye eh ont stay aforn mach onger eneeay I uess.”
Sila hovered a moment in the air waiting for him to finish wrestling with himself. Her brow popped up in satisfaction with the sound of the scissors cutting through the dread. She did envy the control these creatures possessed for creation. She considered all she could accomplish with such power as the dread turned to a beautiful metal braid and withered as a snake in his hand. She tilted her head to him, acknowledging his work, when he met her gave with one eye through parted hair. The curtain of hair fell again and covered his features.
“Anrite, ets een dune hen” He said as he turned and placed his fingers in a donut shape. His fingers slowly opened into a larger circle and a hole in the igneous top of the mound peeled back to the molten core below. He lowered the metal braid toward it. The strand of braided metal shot out small tendrils and clawed at the opening to the heat below, the end of it plunging with a ravenous hunger into the core. It emerged a moment later wrestling with a smaller glowing form, constricting it and wrestling to hold it still. The other end of the braid unwound its form and opened as if a maw before it clamped over the specimen. As it twisted and swallowed the glowing lump could be seen moving down its length. The Korrid circled the end of his middle finger with his thumb for a moment and the braid wove itself around and over itself encircling the protruding lump. It formed into a beautiful knotted ball of braided metal. Firo closed his hand into a fist and a moment later it stilled and frozen in place, a metal ball the size of the gnome's fist. Yes, that would do, she thought.
“Nu ends ta ake omorrow eneeay” The Korrid said as if he didn’t mind and cast the metal ball at the sprite. She managed to catch it but struggled with the weight.
“Thank you. Your reciprocity is satisfied. May you stay clear of the old one's avarice” she said, though he was choosing to ignore her and was already back pushing yet another stone twice his size upright into the stone circle he was assembling. She turned and took off for Ethyl’s burrow. This would indeed do she thought as she felt the heat permeating her body.
….
The gnome grasped the knotted ball close, feeling its heat, conflict still playing across his features as his glance darted around the cavern. “Bal I don’t know if I want to leave. I’m not sure I can see Dormin or me grankin.” he said through the worry.
Sila kept hoisting vials and placing them in the leather roll she had splayed out before her. She didn’t even bother to look up at him. “You do. Now finish packing. Chione assured me the Prince of Frost won’t return for at least a half moon. We don’t have time to waste if we are to see the winter witch.”
Ethyl nodded and slowly wandered off to look for where the tressum had taken his other boot. She would be glad to leave this place. Toril would at least be a cooler climate she was sure if the young white made its home there. She admitted it made her nervous as well. No matter. At least they would be done with the foolishness of the border land and its heat. She wouldn’t even mind the sun provided she didn’t have to stay in it indefinitely, she told herself.