It was in the year 2891 of T.A. that my son Svalgrim was born in our small abodes in the White Mountains. Little there was to mine but we were somewhat fortunate to find silver and iron deposits and began our work there.
Everyone began work and by most accounts we were quite prosperous; trading our goods north towards Breeland and some uneasy caravans went to Rohan; home of the Horse-Lords. However, the Dunlendings were enemies of Rohan and folk of Rohan have no friendship with dwarves, so we took great care and also traded south towards Gondor.
We avoided the Dunlendings because of our trade with Rohan and they avoided us and by all accounts and mine; they were untrustworthy folk and wild folk. Neither cultured nor did they take to much to socializing.
It was in the year 2892 of T.A. in Fall that we had packed and made ready a large convoy with goods; weapons of all kinds but mostly jewelry and fine wares, increased the value of the caravan immensely and would stock our coffers and food supply for winter.
We live on the northern tip of the The White Mountains and our caravan was to go to a town near Anfalas in Gondor; we were to meet the buyers there. We set out in the morning and the weather was truly magnificent, sunny and fresh northerly winds blew and it felt like the last breath of summer ere Fall and Winter mingled. The Caravan consisted of fifty dwarves, which I led. We passed down through to the foothills from our Halls and were making our way steadily into the lowlands, and on time mind you. However, when night came, we set up camp and there our fortunes faded.
While camping wild-men of Dunland attacked us from the north; about a hundred strong and we pursued them far into the foothills until they disappeared. This was to be our folly for the attack was a diversion, another group of Dunlendings attacked from the south killing those left to guard the Caravan. Four dwarves died and fifty Dunlendings and apart from our fallen brothers who were taken back to Nala-Guzuz our entire caravan had been plundered.
Everyone was furious, my temper grew ever stronger and hotter. We soon found clues as to what Dunland tribe had taken our goods and where they were. I then fully armed my dwarves and set out three days after we had buried our fallen brothers at Nala-Guzuz.
Early on the fourth day after leaving our Halls we reached the southern parts of Dunland near the Gap of Rohan. We had heard that their town was a few miles north of our position; just north of The River Isen. It was almost nighttime when we reached the Thieve' town and we waited until everything was more quiet and many had gone to sleep. We attacked! We launched a full scale attacked, which alarmed the entire town but they were trapped! We had set fire to their palisades which encircled the entire town. No dwarf fell that evening and we let the women and children go but no man was left alive, I made sure that Dunlendings nearby would remember not to steal from dwarves.
We burned their town and took back our rightful goods and stole theirs as well and made our way back towards the White Mountains. From there we made our south to Anfalas, we had sent an emissary ahead of us to postpone our arrival. We traded amongst the Gondorians for six days and traders from the Principality of Dol-Amroth also came to trade with us. We made quite the profit there and stocked our food supplies for winter.
We made our way back towards Nala-Guzuz and prepared for winter and continued our iron and silver working. On the ruins of the burned Dunlending town we raised a stone carved in the common-tongue which read;
Our Exodus from Nala-Guzuz
Some years after our run in with The Dunlendings we had several years of peace and some prosperity, I myself call it meager. The resources we gathered in our first years there at Nala-Guzuz were plentiful but dwindled fast after some prosperous years. The Dunlendings bother us no more and trade was good, however, the dealings with the people of Rohan was less fortunate; we usually had Horsemen escort while trading with them, for they were very suspicious of us and of course; we of them.
It is now early spring, now that I write this; we are nearing the west banks of the Anduin and preparing to look for suitable crossings into the Brown-Lands and staying on the southern edges of Mirkwood ere we head due north to the Iron Hills. We have everything we need and all the supplies and the riches we have accumulated through the years in Nala-Guzuz, however, many seems angry and sad at leaving their homes behind. Still, the Dunlendings will have nothing but empty halls to look upon, and that is why we have come on this journey.
In my opinion; the Dunlendings must have been quite angry and vengeful of the town we destroyed years back, however, they were the thieves and the instigators of the whole mess. Either way the Dunlendings must have been preparing for some time or something else must have stirred them to attack us. As master Horin and Durinur found out from regular scouting missions; the Dunlendings were quite well prepared and unified, and strangest of all under one banner. Causing trouble for the Horse Lords as well.
Prepared and well armed they might have been but they were slow. They planned to march on our Halls and lay siege but we noticed it long ere they marched. It was winter when we heard of their imminent attack on our homes. We made good preparations and bought horses and loaded our carriages and wagons with goods, supplies and treasure. The halls we left behind were empty, save only some furniture.
The most ingenious plan ever hatched by my father and Durinur was on that day; we new very well that the Dunlendings would come by the southwestern road to our halls and our path was North West and we also new of a small Dunland town a few miles south of our road north. The plan was to raid the town and steal whatever we might find to add injury to insult once we had left our homes.
It was morning on the fourth day of marching and our lookouts on ponies had seen the Dunlendings march towards our halls and the town was in sight and not even guarded; that is how sure and foolish they were.
Luckily for us, the town was used as the outpost for their skirmishes with the people of Rohan and now us. We made quick work of anyone who attacked us and we found hoards of treasure; from silver goblets and horns to golden necklaces and coins. We took what was to be found and headed north and marched peacefully.
The best part of the entire plan was our Hall of Nala-Guzuz itself; we had fashion our gate in such a way that it was indistinguishable from the rock around it, like our forebears did. So they would have to find a small key hole that was covered with moss along with the rest of the cliff. The Dunland attackers would find on the road to our hall a sign which read in short.
"Greeting from dwarves; watch buttocks or they may be smacked" A taunt and warning. We found out yesterday from a group of Rohirric scouts that they had tried to follow us north after our raid of their town but their luck was wholly wasted. Only a day after the Dunlendings had come to their town, they Horse Lords attacked them and destroyed the town.
We decided today that our time in Nala-Guzuz was over and new chapter lay ahead and it lay in the North of the world. The White Mountains and our abodes there had become to dangerous to stay in and less prosperous now. When summer finally arrives we'll be in The Iron Hills and greeting Dáin ere long and feasting.
Duinn Muninn's son
