what he needed. A large amount of dried and smoked meat as well as a healthy bag of vegetables. Other than food he also collected some quills and parchment so that he could start his own notes about his travel and the knowledge he had learned. Thad wasn’t sure if he would have a lot of time on the road to work on his own book but it was worth trying. With everything he needed ready for the trip the only thing left was Grenlor.
Thad found the old dwarf sitting at his table as normal. Thad could never remember finding the dwarf doing anything other than reading. It was a natural state for the dwarf , a leaf of parchment in one hand and a mug of ale in the other. “What bring ya here taday boyo?” the dwarf asked never looking up from his studies.
Thad picked up the dwarf ’s mug and refilled it from the sat of casks that set next to the dwarf’s table. “I believe it is time for me to move on and try to find my way back to Farlan.” Thad said much more confidently than he felt about the decision.
Grenlor sat down his papers and took a healthy drink from his mug. “Sorry ta hear that, but I figured ya be moving on soon now that tha rite be over. As I told ya before fer our own safety we gonna have ta take ya into the Underearth and lead ya to a different exist. There’s a town nearby we haven’t been ta in some time and I don’t quite remember tha name, but it has a fair amount of ships if me memory serves. You should be able ta get yerself home.”
“Farlan has a large port so if the town has ships then I should be able to make my way home without trouble.” Thad said as he poured himself a mug from one of the upper casks that were filled with a strong cider.
“ Ya know when ya came in, I figured that ya would be asking about yer blessing.” Grenlor said giving Thad a piercing stare. “Ya got a rare blessing though also a dangerous one. Very few dwarves ever get it let alone human mages. It allows its bearers skin ta turn to stone, but as a drawback if tha elemental energy is held too long there is a risk of a permanent change. I would suggest ya don’t use it very often in battle unless ya are forced ta. There are many stories of stone dwarves littering battlefields in tha old days. I will tell ya this though the Brotherhoods swords can’t cut through the stone. While it is magic that turns your skin ta stone, tha stone itself is not magical in nature that is what makes it so dangerous.”
He could feel what the blessing did but he didn’t know it came with such risks. Thad made a mental note to work on its use as soon as possible but he didn’t plan to turn more than small sections of his skin stone. ”Thank you for the warning elder, I will take it to h eart. When do you think we can leave for the town?”
Grenlor laughed loudly, “I will have a group ready to escort ya in the morn. Don’t see why yer in such a hurry boyo, a day or two will make little difference in tha end. Remember rushing is the gateway in which disaster is sure ta enter.”
Thad dismissed himself and made the long walk back to his house. The elder was right if he rushed too much, he would make mistakes and with the Brotherhood looking for anything of magical in origin, he would be giving them an open invitation to strike him down. Normally if he was traveling alone it would only be his life at stake but Crusher was adamant in going with him. The brotherhood sought dwarfs and the other children of the gods as forcibly as they did mages. How in the abyss was he going to hide a dwarf?
Speaking of the devil Thad found Crusher awaiting him in his home. “Not trying ta sneak off on me are ya brother?” He said his voice crisp and laced with a twinge of anger.
“I have not lost my brains my friend. I know if I tried to leave you behind, you would hunt me down and beat me with my own foot.” Thad said exposing the metal appendage Crusher had made to replace his own that had been cut off during his imprisonment in Alba. Most
Thad found the old dwarf sitting at his table as normal. Thad could never remember finding the dwarf doing anything other than reading. It was a natural state for the dwarf , a leaf of parchment in one hand and a mug of ale in the other. “What bring ya here taday boyo?” the dwarf asked never looking up from his studies.
Thad picked up the dwarf ’s mug and refilled it from the sat of casks that set next to the dwarf’s table. “I believe it is time for me to move on and try to find my way back to Farlan.” Thad said much more confidently than he felt about the decision.
Grenlor sat down his papers and took a healthy drink from his mug. “Sorry ta hear that, but I figured ya be moving on soon now that tha rite be over. As I told ya before fer our own safety we gonna have ta take ya into the Underearth and lead ya to a different exist. There’s a town nearby we haven’t been ta in some time and I don’t quite remember tha name, but it has a fair amount of ships if me memory serves. You should be able ta get yerself home.”
“Farlan has a large port so if the town has ships then I should be able to make my way home without trouble.” Thad said as he poured himself a mug from one of the upper casks that were filled with a strong cider.
“ Ya know when ya came in, I figured that ya would be asking about yer blessing.” Grenlor said giving Thad a piercing stare. “Ya got a rare blessing though also a dangerous one. Very few dwarves ever get it let alone human mages. It allows its bearers skin ta turn to stone, but as a drawback if tha elemental energy is held too long there is a risk of a permanent change. I would suggest ya don’t use it very often in battle unless ya are forced ta. There are many stories of stone dwarves littering battlefields in tha old days. I will tell ya this though the Brotherhoods swords can’t cut through the stone. While it is magic that turns your skin ta stone, tha stone itself is not magical in nature that is what makes it so dangerous.”
He could feel what the blessing did but he didn’t know it came with such risks. Thad made a mental note to work on its use as soon as possible but he didn’t plan to turn more than small sections of his skin stone. ”Thank you for the warning elder, I will take it to h eart. When do you think we can leave for the town?”
Grenlor laughed loudly, “I will have a group ready to escort ya in the morn. Don’t see why yer in such a hurry boyo, a day or two will make little difference in tha end. Remember rushing is the gateway in which disaster is sure ta enter.”
Thad dismissed himself and made the long walk back to his house. The elder was right if he rushed too much, he would make mistakes and with the Brotherhood looking for anything of magical in origin, he would be giving them an open invitation to strike him down. Normally if he was traveling alone it would only be his life at stake but Crusher was adamant in going with him. The brotherhood sought dwarfs and the other children of the gods as forcibly as they did mages. How in the abyss was he going to hide a dwarf?
Speaking of the devil Thad found Crusher awaiting him in his home. “Not trying ta sneak off on me are ya brother?” He said his voice crisp and laced with a twinge of anger.
“I have not lost my brains my friend. I know if I tried to leave you behind, you would hunt me down and beat me with my own foot.” Thad said exposing the metal appendage Crusher had made to replace his own that had been cut off during his imprisonment in Alba. Most
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