It was a restless night at the skirts of the Mountains Blue. We were seeking for rocks for future climbing with Ephendir, following the river’s bank. We heard vile voices in the distance, goblins… And there were dwarves yelling their war cries.
- What is this? A battle?
-Sounds like one. Have the heart to see?
No, I did not have heart for it, yet I followed Ephendir up the river bank. We moved from tree to rock, rock to tree, hiding behind them in the twilight. On the bridge of Noglond, a bunch of dwarves were fighting with utter zeal against hordes of goblins… and their leader, an ugly orc. Then, at the skirts of the hill, there were three, one of them was lying motionless on the ground while the other two were standing beside him. We recognized Kveltrild, her red beard was soaked in blood, her eyes were flaming with anger and a pale smoke of despair was veiling her face. She was talking with another dwarf maiden who could still look lovely under the great amount of panic she was in. We approached them.
The dwarf on the ground was severely wounded. He was fading. All life had melted away from his wounded face. He was surrounded by scattered runestones. Ephendir ran to gather athelas leaves. We crushed and applied them on the wounds… It looked like they had tried to treat these wounds but failed. Yet only leaves would not suffice… I took off my cloak and laid it on the dwarf under the suspicions gaze of Kveltrild. This cloak of mine had tiny lines of ancient threads designed with the patterns of healing and growth… The dwarf’s head fell on the side as Ephendir left us to support the battle with his bow and arrow.
The dwarf was fading, as the maiden muttered. Kveltrild was on the edge of despair, she was holding her stones in her hands as if to crush them into pieces with her bitter rage. In such moments of despair, the elves of the Havens call to the light of the stars. I searched the half-overcast night sky and found a beloved star up high. Once sprinkled from the hands of Elbereth. My heart yearned for its help, compassion and presence. So I began to chant to this star and I wished help and healing for this fading dwarf. When I looked at him, life had found its place back in his veins and the wounds were beginning to cover. The battle on the bridge and warcries were wearing me out. So I left my cloak with them and walked back into the trees. I watched Kveltrild and the other maiden carry the wounded dwarf to their hold in Noglond. I kept watching over them.
