Watching Rugiel work took Stronric back to the days he would watched the master smiths work. She moved with such confidence and intent as she loaded the forge with two iron ingots. Pulling them out one at a time shaping them, then replacing them in the coals while she did the same to the other. Stronric stepped in rarely, guiding her with small details. He didn’t have to guide her long; each time she would pick up what he was explaining and grow beyond it. Stronric sat down at his work table and started engraving, polishing, and wrapping the hilt of the weapon made for Mintra in leather. He would look over at her occasionally, watching as she held the red hot iron at slightly different angles to strike it.

The forges new blue flames billowed up with the intensity of dragon’s fire. I wonder if we even need coke at this point. The fire is growing so hot we might be able to purify the iron into steel. If we could skip the coking process that would be of a great boon. I never learned why coke does what it does, but I do know it makes it hotter. Does this mean this forge is a the symbol of the smithing god? Will it work like the hearth? Will sleeping down here also give a blessing?

Rugiel finished her project and walked over to Stronric. She set the two daggers down on the work table. They were short and wide, more akin to butcher knives than daggers. Having only one edge the weapons were thicker than the average dagger. The flat side of the weapons was weighted to give the daggers more hacking power. He turned the daggers and saw they still ended in a thrust. That would allow the wielders to pierce through a persons back but they were still more of a swinging style of blade. Stronric looked up at Rugiel as she let out a deep breath. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she crumpled to the ground. Stronric was barely able to catch her before she hit the ground. He laid her down gently, and checked her pulse. She was fine as far as far he could tell, but her skin was as hot as a cooking iron. Lass is too excited for her new gift. She forgot the basics of smithing… water. Stronric chuckled at the beginners mistake she learned the hard way. Stronric took off her apron and tucked it under her head. He would let her sleep as he resumed his work. Hearing complaints coming from the hall, Bauru walked into the smithy.

“Shes fine, just exhausted.” Stronric said as her brother’s eye widened at her laying on the ground.

“How long has she been like that?” Bauru asked approaching her.

“Oh a moment, she finished her project and collapsed. I figured to let her sleep.” Stronric said he finished the last of the polishing on the sword. “I didn’t want to leave her and go looking for ye. How are the guests, they settling in fine?”

“Yeah Mintra, and his cousin are in the Hearth. The gnome wont stop talkin. He’d talk up a storm, I swear. Ye know he said if we keep gettin on like this, he’ll open a stall here right out front.” Bauru said as he lift his sister onto his shoulder.

Stronric grabbed the daggers, and the sword and headed for the door. They spoke about the state of the rooms as they walked up stairs. They would need a carpenter, furniture maker, weaver and more to restore the rooms to their former glory. Stronric helped lower Rugiel into her spot in the hearth room, and turned to make dinner. Mintra had a small tankard and was drinking while talking to his cousin in low whispers. Bauru went back up top to grab one of the boars, he hunted earlier that day. Soon the smell of herbs and spices provided by Mintra filled the air as the boar was roasted over the fire. Cheese was cut into thick chunks then packed into cuts made in the boars flesh.

Stronric sat back and drank from his tankard as he thought back on the day. A lot has happened today. If we can recruit more dwarves we can really get this place going. Rugiel can do the smithing, after she gets more experience. Bauru is handling the animals and hunting. That leaves me to do all the other work. Two or three more bodies would really be a life changer. Actually I do have time now to explore further down into the hold. The other two can watch the hold and take care of the chores while I have some fun.

“Stronric….. STRONRIC!” Stronric shook his head and looked over at the gnome yelling at him.

“Sorry, was lost in thought.” Stronric smiled an apology.

“No matter, did you hear anything I said?” Mintra asked with an eye roll. Stronric shook his head. “Well then, would you like to buy some slaves? Now before you get mad, it would be your easiest way to grow the hold. An expensive way but an easy one. I saw the gold you flaunted in my shop, how much more do you have?”

“I showed you all have, not unless you can take some stock and sell it for us, otherwise we are broke.” Stronric said as he drank from the tankard.

“Hmm that does put a damper on things, speaking of which I have your change and left it on the bar. Do you have plan to make more money? I don’t mind selling your wares for you, at a cost of course.” Mintra said rubbing his hands in greed. Stronric had noticed that Mintra hadn’t taken his eyes of the sword. “It would go to boost my level and your pockets. You keep making stuff like this and I’ll have every army from this side of the world to the other side wanting armaments from you.”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Stronric thought on that. Selling sub-par armaments to the outside world was a good way to make money. It would draw in dwarves looking for work and supply them with hands to work on the hold. Plus it would make cash, which we desperately need. I would need more bodies to protect the place before I would want to go crazy making weapons. Our stock of iron is low as it is. Making armor would be hard unless we found the mines, if this place even has mines.

“Issue with that is I don’t have much iron left. That weapon is made from orc scrap metal. It’s low quality stuff, I would need a mining team, actually I would need to find the mines. I can keep the deal we made, but for now thats all we are going to produce for the outside world. We have much work to be done here first.” Stronric waved at the broken kegs and storage are. “We have all of this to fix first.”

“Well Gerlad and I was talking, we would be willing to offer you an investment of sorts. A small one for now, but we are interested…”

“Is that your cousin name, I thought it was Calmin?” Stronric interrupted.

“Oh forgive me, this is Gerlad my third cousin, Calmin is a nickname from out childhood. Hes a good lad but he suffers from a speech problem.” Mintra waved his cousin forward.

“N-n-nice to-o-o meet you, ma-ma-mast-st-ster dwarf.” He stuttered as he bowed.

“You can see why he doesn’t like to talk to others, tortured something fierce by the humans.” Mintra added for his cousin.

“Ay I can see why, tho Gerald yer always free to speak here, tell me if someone messes with ye.” Stronric gave Bauru the stink eye before laughing.

Gerald smiled and bowed his head again.

“Thank you Stronric we appreciate that deeply. Gerlad is a monster when it comes to money, investing and reading the market, he was once an apprentice of a one of the biggest trading guilds. Surely you have heard of it, the Golden Compass Enterprise?” Stronric shook his head at Mintra. “Well they are quite large, serving most towns and cities along the coast line. They even tried tempting those in the dessert to make coin. Gerlad was one of their best apprentices.” Mintra face beamed with pride.

“Like I was saying Stronric, sorry I get off on these side tangents. My mother used to say it was a curse of hers. We were all lucky enough for it to pass down onto all of us. But it was my mother who was able to get those connections that we merchants need. Sorry, I’ve done it again. Back to the point, we have fallen on hard times, we are down to our last shop in Millstone. If we were able to secure some goods no one else has that would put us back on the map. Oh my mother would be turning in the grave is she saw the state of our trading guild now.”

Stronric was starting to understand the full power of the mother’s curse.

“Wait your a trading guild?” Stronric asked.

“Well not really anymore, just in name and licensing, after dear Gerlad left the Golden Compass. He and I thought we have a go at it before we sold it off. It was his idea to come out here. The middle of nowhere to rebuild. Then attempt to break back into the markets of the bigger cities, once our footing was secured. You see the head of family had lost the business to uhh.. Well lets says unsavory means. We were able to get it back but it drained our accounts. We have a little money we could use for investing in this potential new city of yours. Now due to the circumstances of the escaped slaves, and you being a different kind of dwarf. We are going to have to keep this on the quiet. We couldn’t be caught supporting the illegal freeing of slaves.”

“Gerlad says his gut says to trust in you and we will profit. You scratch our back and we scratch yours. We will buy that sword from the blacksmith and wait till we have a small collection and take it to market and see if we can sell them. So please make different types of weapons each time you craft one for us. We need to show off our wares as something special and you need supplies and to remain hidden. This contract of merchants and your weapons will allow our secret to remain safe. See we all win. Plus I’ll give you a discount on my other goods if you give me something special.”

Stronric waved his hands to slow down Mintra. “Lets put business aside for now, I need to think on it with the other two. Lets each eat dinner, and I’ll have your answer for you in the morning.” Stronric said as he pulled the boar off the spit and set it on the table. Bauru shook his sister awake. Stronric had barely cut the boar when she tore into it. They ate, drank and were merry. Even Gerlad was tossing in jokes from time to time. Beatrice made her way inside the hearth and took her position behind Stronric.

Leaning back Stronric looked out on the group of friends. He took in a deep breath simply enjoying the company. Bauru was standing on a table stumbling around as he told a story.

“And the lord draws his bo…Burp… bow and goes to take eh shot and slips and falls right into horse shite!” Bauru broke down laughing as he slipped and fell off of the table. The group exploded into laughter at him. Bauru just laid on the group holding his belly laughing.

Thoranthana, thank ye. I needed this, ye might not have given me this moment with my kinsman and friends but ye guided me here. Everyday I feel like we are making our way back to what it means to be a dwarf. Please guide more kinsman to us but next time can we get a cook?

A warm breeze blew from the hearth and everyone paused and drank in the feeling. It was like the warmth of a mother’s embrace

The dinner carried late into the night, Mintra and Gerlad excused themselves for the night and headed down to their rooms. Rugiel stumbled to her bed and laid down rubbing her stomach and smacking her lips. Bauru tucked her in and walked over to his cot and laid down.

“ey Stronric, ay think we are actually pulling this off. Can’t believe this be real.” Bauru said as he stretched out to sleep.

“Ay we are beardling. We have a lot of work to do, but each day we get closer.” Stronric replied as he laid his head down on Beatrice belly and fell asleep.