25th Granite - The Cathedral
The Cathedral rested silently in its rocky tomb, silence pervading it's halls. There was no movement as the first shafts of the morning sunlight lit the four small vertical shafts cut in the ceiling and slowly cast itself onto the half-finished iron floor. There it struck, and refracted in all directions, lighting the of the two golden statues that sat on either side of the altar in a scintillating display of color, and quietly illuminating the mosaic on the ceiling in a off grey-gold light.
On the surface the soft chirps of Robins and Blue jays filled the air around Rikkir. Their soft voices declaring for all to hear, "Spring is here! Spring has come!" in such a tedious, overwhelming manner that the dwarf felt sick from their vitality. The birds of spring were a reminder, in a way, of the pain that Rikkir had felt nineteen years ago. The blue-eyed dwarf sighed as she began to descend down the staircase. The inane titter of the birds above growing muted, and then silent as she carefully navigated the golden stair and emerged in the central chamber. Like everything in the cathedral it was true gold, dwarven gold, and no manner of man, goblin, or elf would change that as long as the old miner lived.
Rikkir smiled wanly as she closed the metallic door behind her, surveying the room that was her throne room, altar, and office in one. Clean, neat, and beautiful, there was only one word to describe it: extravagant. It was favorably comparable to any temple that had existed in the mountain halls of her birth and, more importantly, it was hers. It was sculpted and designed by her hands and her hands alone, built on a foundation of trust between her and her closest friend, and engraved by the man she called her husband. No other dwarf will ever hold such a claim to the cathedral as she does, and no other dwarf would be as comfortable within its confines.
With a content smile she loosed her coat and approached the altar. Carefully she drew back the chair hidden behind it, so not to scratch the solid iron floor, and sat down before the papers that had already been placed there. Requests could be placed by any dwarf within the village for jobs that needed done, or items that needed built. Then Rikkir would review and list them according to importance. For a leader such as Rikkir there was no end to such business, as she not only gave spiritual advice, but was the secular leader of the village as well.
For a time the older dwarf worked in silence, blankly filling out form after form of requests. So busy was she that she hardly noticed that another dwarf was with her until a gentle voice disturbed her.
"Mother..."
Rikkir paused, looking over her papers in surprise as the slender form of Feb reached over the altar to touch her shoulder. His eyes a murky whorl of grays and browns like his father's, and his hands slender and callused from hours spent carving bone. His blue tunic and pants were loose on him, still overlarge on his growing frame, and as he stood he fidgeted uncomfortably, still not wholly used to needing clothing of any sort. Upon seeing him Rikkir's face gentled, her own thick hands lighting from their work to grab his and a warm smile gracing her normally cold face. "Yes Feb? What is it?"
The boy... no, the young man, Rikkir reminded herself fiercely, figited under her touch. His face was pained as a battle fought behind his eyes. He bit his lip and shook his head, uncertain, and then finally burst out. "Mother... It's Glacies. She is up top meeting with the elves, again."
The color drained from Rikkir's motherly expression as she heard those words. Her eyes flew down to the paperwork on her desk as she noticed the signature on the orders below. "Tricked, I've been tricked!" She screeched fiercely, her words reverberating throughout the entire chamber as she raced towards the main doors. Her hands slipped off of the door knob as she tried to open it, the mechanisms within the door preventing it from opening. With an angry cry she forced her shoulder against the door, the heavy barrier not budging an inch as she attempted to force it again and again.
Someone, somewhere, had betrayed her.
Again.
26th Granite - Glacies Diary
Ziril protect! Somehow Rikkir has had Feb locked away with her in the cathedral in an attempt to prevent me from trading with the elves. The audacity! She is willing to hurt her own flesh and blood for this... vendetta. The others do not know that I have locked her away, and I can't tell them what happened to Feb without giving away my own
Tonight, after dealing with the elves, I will hurry down and free Feb by any means necessary... even if it means killing his mother.
What is this? I hear screams!
27th Granite - Glacies Diary
The depot! Someone has closed the gates to the depot on one of the elves, despite my orders otherwise. Nobody will admit to it, but the guilty look in the faces of the older dwarves burns into my mind as I try and determine which of them has betrayed me. At once I threw open the lever to release the elves, their faces filled with fury as the bridge came down. They left without a word.
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Topic: Last Dwarves in the world. Ulogeshud[Community Fortress] (Read 50670 times)