[Nogrod]

Gwerr

Ishkur asked Gwerr to get the ale barrell inside for them. That sounded fair and reasonable enough. But then all this talk about giving some of the coins to the females, even trusting them to just hold their tongues about it made Gwerr really nervous. He took the few steps needed to get to the doorway but from curiosity glanced back to the tent as he went out just to see Ishkur untying one of his bags and stuffing one more coin to his pocket. Man, you’re losing your grip... Why do you have to go jelly-brained at the moment when we should be our smartest?

The rising wind threw dust on his face as he stepped out of the tent and made him cough. As he was able to open his eyes after a while he noticed the general hassle in the camp. What he could judge from the flickering shades and noises coming from different directions, it seemed that all the others were present, looting whatever they could. The wind was furious, gaining speed every now and then and making nearly all perception impossible.

After a while as Gwerr tried to locate the barrel he suddenly noticed Ishkur’s newly acquired horse stepping to and fro looking very nervous. Oh Morgoth! Well, good I was the one coming out...

“C’mon you!” Gwerr called the horse as he approached it and took the reins commandingly into his hands. He pulled gently but demandingly and the horse followed him, calming down a bit. Slowly Gwerr took the horse to the opening of the tent and then gripped it from the mane, pulling it’s head firmly downwards. “Now you’re coming with me my four-legged treasure-carrier, you come nicely to the inside... You’ll like it more there and we’ll like it so much more to see you and your carriage all the time”. Simultaneously he half pulled, half pushed the animal inside the tent, pulling it’s head downwards so that it fitted in without felling the tent down. Ishkur seemed a bit perplexed with the entry of the two.

“I may have my reasons to believe your overall sanity going bye-bye, but leaving our treasure out there for the Uruk-scum to grasp is just outstanding! What if Makdush and his slimy friends would have noticed this one while we were in here nicely sipping ale and getting our well deserved drinks? What then, Ishkur, What then?” He showed his contempt with an orcish gesture and went back outside. He thought for a second why he had been so angered about the horse being left outside before he realised that it was probably because he himself was to blame as well. Neither had he thought of getting the horse with the loads of coins safely inside in the first place. But Ishkur saw it earlier that the others were around and about... he tried to reason to himself but failed to make himself confident with that.

When he came back in dragging the barrell he could sense the tension in the air. Ishkur was looking at him sternly. Gwerr said nothing, but after laying the barrell in the middle of the tent he took his axe and hewed the top open. The splinters of wood spread all around and considerable amounts of ale splushed over to the mat. As he reached out for a goblet that was lying on the table near him he finally smiled to Ishkur. “Okay mate, you may be becoming a nimcompoop, but whatever. You’re my mate anyhow. Let’s drink!” He filled the goblet from the barrell and handed it towards Ishkur.