Tired. Weary. Hungry. Dragging of foot. Bent of back. Thus were the dwarfs who emerged from the doom of the darkness after the flight from the Stone Labyrinths.
I would know, fer I was one of them.
Baruden Etewack, Glaven Wellington, Bakin Fundison, Kuchare Lenang un’ myself Ulfer Knalgan hobbled into Hydlaa, a sorry lot of refugees we were. Bakin bled from the wound on his leg, his slashed limb no equal fer the leagues of miles we had traveled. Barudens back was stooped, his beard skirting along the floor. Glaven remained clutched in my hand, its hunken weight making numb the muscles in my arm. Kuchare... nay a hint of what thoughts collected in his mind. He had spoken n'ear at all since the Brethren had fallen against the terrors of the tunnels.
Entered the city we did, where many a guard directed us to the great plaza where other travellers were housed on cots un' blankets. Wi'h weary strides we stumbled down the steps to the fountain, looking fer a place to collapse upon our bedrolls un’ finally, blissfully, find the peace of sleep. But a fussy un' fraught Ylian stepped in our path un' demanded we gave our names, which he scribed into a leather-bound tome.
"Take what space there is, as you can see... accommodations are full, so you'll have to make do."
It was a hard task to find empty space in the plaza, fer many bodies were huddled together from all corners of Yliakum - many unfamiliar ones too! Nai fer the first time, I wondered if we had blundered by not following the others out that day, perhaps it would have been a far better ending than the sad un' somber image of a group of dwarfs yielding to injuries.
We lay down our gear next to a Klyros who went to Bakins side to lighten the suffering. Un’ while we longed to tumble to the stone floor un’ get our first rest in weeks, a duty remained still. I opened the iron-bound chest thet contained the Bloodstone relics, un’ from wi’hin I pulled out the Codex of Stone, insignia emblazoned upon it. I handed it to Baruden, whose back straightened un 'whose brow furrowed as he scanned the pages.
“Many will come. Nay worry, Sovereign.â€
His final word froze my breath, un’ I managed a weak nod before turning away. “Sovereign,†Baruden said. A rock on my shoulders it was, a weight I was nai ready to carry un’ nai wanted to have. Spoken aloud, it staked certain truths ignored since the long journey. Such thoughts kept me awake long after the torches dimmed in the city. Yet as I gazed upon my companions un', one by one, watched them fall into slumber, comfort was found in the certainty of duty. Duty to my kin, my clan, myself. Duty to Bloodstone. I joined them in sleep.
How long we rested I know nai, but I was first to arise many hours later. I found a small grin, the first in weeks, as I looked at Kuchare, snoring, only matched by the noise of a thunderclacker, drowning out the murmuring from the other gathered people. I pulled on my boots un’ meandered throughout the plaza in search of provisions, fer I suspected my kin would soon awake wi’h a rumbling in their bellies to match my own.
It was then thet the main gates swung open, at thet very day it began. A slow trickle became a steady stream, became a river, until wave after wave of travelers came through Hydlaa. As each person came into sight, we would look wi’h hope of spotting some of our kin. In those moments I vowed to protect clan leadership, I had placed destruction un’ survival on the scales; survival proved the heavier.
“There be more who survived, or many who wish to join our cause. Many more. Bloodstone clan remains open to them!â€
Un’ the words ring true. Fer those who survived the battle un’ escaped wi’h their beards, they have heard the call un’ rallied to our banner once more. Distant blood un’ kin have also found us in Hydlaa. Many are those who answered the call of our ancestors un’ arrived at the gates bearing the mark of a warrior, ready to take up arms in the name of our clan, our kin, our race.
Fallen to me it has to write this epoch of our clan’s lore, yet I leave empty space at the bottom of the parchment. This part of our history is nai complete, fer there are many deeds un’ tales yet to come. From this moment ferward, we rebuild, repair, resupply, un’ reload. When the Lore Master who follows me takes up the quill, this chapter shall nai be of defeat, or of woe, or of despair. It shall be ripe wi’h tales of victory, of valour, of decimation of the accursed that drove us from the tunnels.
We, my fellow Dwarfs of Bloodstone, shall write this chapter together.
