Hearth Fire

Blood squirted as Stronric pulled his axe free from the elf’s chest. He lifted the weapon onto his shoulder and turned to face his new citizens.

“Begone you foul beast!” Rugiel screamed as she fumbled for a stone chunk on the ground.

Stronric stared at her in disbelief, “Come on lassie, put down your err.. weapon and come inside.” He said as he waved them towards the hearth.

Rugiel hand flashed out to block her brother’s path. “Absolutely not. This thing is a monster. We can not trust it. It’s likely to lure us into the depths of his cave and eat us.” She whispered franticly.

Bauru stared at his sister. “No sister, this is the dwarf I met. I told ye he’s different from us. He a dwarf tho, I promise ye that.” Bauru pointed at Stronric, who was causally cleaning blood off of his face with his beard. “Hes, a wee bit large, and his beard adds some size. Come on, sis, we’ll live in the mountains! We finally free of the world above.”

Stronric stopped wiping his face stunned. I am not large, I am perfectly healthy sized dwarf. It’s ye two who are small and underweight. He looked between the siblings as they argued with each other. After the fifth time of being called “a large monster”, Stronric sighed and shook his head.

“BAA!” cut threw the air ending the argument. Beatrice stood in the doorway stomping her foot. Oh crap, I got to close the top of the mountain. Beatrice's annoyed glare made Stronric wince.

“Right, ye two fight out here. I have some things to attend to. If ye want too ye can head inside. The hearth is warm and there is some food out. Also I only have one tankard so ye’d have to share it. Oh, and the lady of the hold, her name is Beatrice. She’s in charge while I am gone.” Stronric said over his shoulder as he headed back inside to secure the upper levels of the hold.

After much petting of the goats and giving praises for their efforts, Stronric promised good meals and treats. Ensuring the goats were all tucked in, he went back down to the hearth. He could hear the arguing had not subsided, but had just gotten quieter. Stronric walked in to the hearth room, he found the siblings sitting by the fire with their backs against the wall. Beatrice sat on the other side staring at them, unblinking. Stronric lowered his axe with a dull thud. The small dwarves’ eyes shot up to him

Stronric took a moment to take in the siblings. Rugiel had clear snow blue eyes and her blond hair was cut short to her shoulders. She had a large frame for a female dwarf, more akin to a muscular athletic build. She had a small button-shaped nose and full lips, except when they were in a disapproving frown. Her skin was lighter than Stronric’s even though she lived on the surface her whole life. Her brother shared similar features with his blue eyes and blond hair expect for the large, notched nose he carried. As Stronric studied the beardling, he noticed a large scar that passed over his left eye.

Bauru wore the same clothes Stronric had seen him in two nights prior. Rugiel wore a blue dress with white trim. Her gloves, bonnet and a shoulder cloak all were similar blue as her dress. In stark contrast to her dress, she wore heavy travelers boots.

Stronric shuffled awkwardly over to the hearth and tossed in some firewood. Oh, the food! I should feed them some proper food. Mother always said friends are made over meat and mead. He walked over to one sack he had brought back from Millstone. He pulled out three slabs of salted meat, a couple potatoes, and a squished loaf of bread. Rugiel stared at him as he took out a dagger and skewered the meat onto it. He made slow movements as he placed it over the fire to cook. He didn’t want to startle the lassie and start another round of arguing.

“Now I don’t have many sticks, so ye two can eat first.” Stronric said as he slowly rotated the meat.

Rugiel looked as if she was just slapped. “Is this beast cooking for us?” she whispered to her brother.

Bauru let out a chuckle, “ye not have any cook wear sir?” he asked.

Stronric let out a gruff and waved his hand at Bauru and said, “Stronric will do just fine. Unfortunately, the tinker's rooms have collapsed, and I haven't had the opportunity to unearth them. So I’ve made do.”

“You’ve been living here, eating like this off sticks and stones?” Rugiel tone was slightly disgusted as she turned up her nose.

“Well, how else am I gonna eat?” Stronric replied simply.

Rugiel let out a huff in exasperation. “Stop that. We have cook wear outside and more than one tankard. If we are going to live in this cave, we don’t have to eat and act like cave dwellers.” She quickly rose, wiped the back of her dress and walked out of the room with a straight back and chin held high.

Stronric watched her go. She looked less tense than she had before. That was good, they are starting to relax. I always knew mother was good at this kind of thing. We always had guest over. Now to get them a drink and then we should be able to have a normal conversation. Beatrice is great for conversation, but I better keep her away for now. Dont want to spook them before they have settled in.

Rugiel returned with her arms full of supplies. She walked to the bar top and laid out a cast-iron pot, plates, forks, steak knives, a bread knife, and three tankards. Rugiel then unfolded an apron and tied it around her waist. After tying back the ends of her dress sleeves, She then got to work cutting up the potatoes, meats, and some herbs. She placed them all in the pot and took them to the hearth. The room quickly filled with the smell of a well seasoned dinner. Stronric’s mouth watered, and a gurgle escaped his stomach. Rugiel looked sternly over her shoulder at him.

“Have had little cooked food, have you?“ She asked while peering around the dirty room.

“No, I’ve been eating hardtack mush corn. Tho I did have some meat and cheese at the inn in millstone, dreadful stuff.” Stronric said as he got up, fetched the tankards and filled them with beer. Stronric walked around the room handing each of the siblings a tankard. Rugiel looked down at the drink and shook her head. They sipped the dark beer and all let out a collected sigh, though Rugiel's sigh was lower and she turned her head to hide her face.

Bauru broke the silence. His voice was hopeful as he said, “So si… I mean Stronric, we can really stay here, with ye ? We be no trouble. We can work, clean, or anything else ye need to be done. We can earn out keep.” Stronric turned to him and saw the hope in the small dwarf’s eyes.

“Of course ye can boy, that is why I invited ye. We have much work that needs to be done before the others get here. We need to log, clean and build. Oh and we have the little orc issue thats needs taken care of.”

The siblings’ bother froze.

Rugiel’s face reddened as she turned on her brother. He was basically screaming as she said, “See I told you! This place isn’t safe! That thin… man just said orcs like it was nothing.” She got up and walked to her brother. “This was a bad idea. How did I ever let you talk me into this?”

Bauru peered around his sister skirts. He pleaded to Stronric. “Tell her ye kidding Stronric, there can’t possibly be orcs in here.” Rugiel turned to Stronric, her hand on her hip and raised and expectant eyebrow.

Stronric eyebrows rose in response. Are they really afraid of the orcs and gobi?

“I am not kidding. I killed a war pack some levels down. I put the war chief’s head on a pike, thats kept them away for now. But we will have to take care of the problem. They breed like crazy and we need to close the hole they are getting in through.” Stronric said nonchalantly as he got up to refill his drink.

Bauru looked at his sister in amazement. Rugiel looked at Bauru with a mix of fear and disbelief.

“Certainly you mean a few goblins and an orc or two? You couldn’t have killed a war party by yourself? With no help from anyone?” Rugiel asked.

Stronric huffed and replied. “Well no.” Bauru’s shoulder fell a little at Stronrics words and Rugiel held an “I told you so” expression. Stronric ignored their responses and continued, “Beatrice rammed an orc archer, who tumbled into the group of archers so I could get close enough to the party to kill them.”

Beatrice rose from her position in the corner and strode towards the party when hearing her name. She walked with her goat head high and let out a might “BAA.”

The siblings looked at Beatrice in shock. Beatrice looked down her nose at them, keeping her head high as she demanded Stronric to pet her by leaning her body weight into his side. Stronric rubbed her between his eyes and smiled at the queen establishing dominance with the newcomers.

“All the help ye had was a single bump from a goat?” Bauru asked, looking at the strange pair.

Beatrice turned and faced the siblings, lowered her head and stomped her foot.

Stronric let out a laugh, “Well, it was one hell of a mighty bump.” Beatrice turned her head back to the siblings lowering her horns, daring the newcomers to question her ability to “bump”. Stronric continued his story. “I slew about twenty or so Orcs before their war chief came out. He was large, I’ll give him that, but his armor was shoddy. Took me a moment, but I brought him to heel and the rest fled.” Stronric said, mostly distracted by soothing Beatrice’s bruised ego.

After Stronric’s story the group quietly ate their soup again. Stronric was pondering the tasks that needed to be done and the siblings were still mulling over what they just learned. Rugiel stood, going back to the pot, she offered Stronric another ladle of soup. Stronric waved it off, “ye eat first. Ye pair are not but skin and bones.”

The siblings locked eyes in amazement. Bauru smiled and immediately began to shovel soup into his mouth, while Rugiel gaze softened as she thanked Stronric. Bauru ate like a starved dog. Rugiel sat cross-legged and ate slowly savoring her food, unlike her brother. Stronric got up from time to time to fill their tankards or to get another loaf of bread from the sack. I should have ordered more food from the gnome. At this rate, these two are gonna eat me out of house and home.

Between bites Bauru looked at Stronric, “I know it’s rude, but what’s yur level?”

“Uh what?” was all Stronric could reply with.

“Your level, surely, you have to be high level if you killed a war pack.” Rugiel clarified.

“What level, ye mean? As in the level of the hold I killed them on?” Stronric asked her with a confused look.

Rugiel set down her bowl, her bother did the same. A look of surprise flashed between them, before they turned their attention back to Stronric.

“Do you not know about levels? You truly are a strange dwarf.” Rugiel said as she patted her mouth with a handkerchief.

“Apparently I don’t,” he said. I wonder if this has to do with the blessing and rewards.

As he thought of reward. Oh crap, my quest, he thought about the quest and it appeared in his head.

Quest progress

0/2 new members of the hold

“Oh yes, that reminds me, will ye join my hold?” he asked

“Of course, but what its name?” asked Bauru

I have never thought of what I would name this place. Should I wait to find its original name? Or should I come up with my own name for the place? He was pondering this thought as he looked into the fire. Realization came quick.

“This Hold’s name is Hearth Fire, in honor of our ancestor Thoranthana.” Stronric said proudly.

It was Rugiel turn to look confused. “Who?”

“Ye know Thoranthana, the ancestors of hearth and home?” Stronric said his tone implying this is general knowledge all should know.

His words fell flat with no recognition in the siblings eyes, Stronric thought, so they have forgotten their ancestors. They have no one to guide them! He stood then and pointed to the Cornucopia carved above the hearth. He continued, “This symbol is of our ancestor, Thoranthana. She is one of our guiding ancestors. It seems the ancestors have been forgotten by the dwarves of this land. There is much wisdom and knowledge one can learn from the ancestors. If you acknowledge her and pray, ye can receive the blessings.”

“We can receive blessings?!” they shouted in unison.

“Of course ye can, yer going to be living in her hold. Why would ye not be able?” he asked.

“Dwarves aren’t allowed to receive blessings.” Rugiel said, looking up at the symbol on the wall.

Another way the dwarves of these lands have fallen. I wonder if any of these ancestors are still kept alive in the minds and hearts of the dwarves.

“If ye want to join my hold, you must pray to her. If ye knew of any other ancestors, ye could pray to them. I haven’t discovered any more as of yet,” Stronric said.

The siblings both took a knee in front of the symbol and bowed their heads. A warm glow spread from the hearth and swirled around the siblings.

Quest completed

2/2 new members of the hold.

The siblings eyes opened and they stood meeting Stronric’s gaze with fire in their eyes.

“You weren’t lying, you have freed us, and brought us home. I, Rugiel Stonesinger, pledge myself to your service Stronric.” She said from her knees.

“I as well pledge myself to the Hold of Hearth Fire, and to ye, Stronric.” Bauru added.

Stronric smiled as he took up a bowl of food. “Good, we have a lot of work to do.”