[Arry]

‘And I say we shouldn’t!’ Dari Glitterfist stood up, putting his hands on the table before him as he leaned forward to address the assembled Dwarves. ‘We’ve done enough, I say, carting the reinforcements from the Golden Wood through our halls, keeping ‘em safe from the Orcs until they could reach the smiths’ city. Granted, for most of those we brought through it was an easy enough job. But there were a few times when it was Dwarf lives that bought the safe passage.’ His brother Brand, sitting next to him, clapped his hand on Dari’s back, Both were remembering their brother Afi who fell to the foul Orcs in one of the expedition to fetch the Elven warriors sent from the Lady.

‘I’m standing with my brother, on this one,’ Brand said, getting up to speak. ‘I say our doors should be shut tight for now, and our forges turn to the making of weapons to defend ourselves.’

‘And besides,’ continued Dari, looking to the King for verification. ‘It wasn’t us that took that viper in his fair clothes in, now was it? They’re not dullards that can’t think for themselves. They’re just as sharp and shrewd as we are. They stood too close to the forger’s fire, and now they’ve got burnt, so we heard tell. Let them and their King figure out a way out of trouble. We should look to ourselves.’

There were murmurs of assent from little pockets of seated and standing Dwarves about the Hall. Many there were who would rather sharpen their axes and stand together at their own front door.

‘Now’s the time we should be closing ranks against outsiders; shore up our own defenses; look to the safety of our own families.’ Brand brought his great fist down on the thick oaken top of the table, his eyes glittering as they swept the room to see which opinion held sway.