The Rising of the Black Tide

Author - Legolas
page 1

"Father" said a young voice. King Charn looked down from his throne (and his food which he too often had in front of him) to see his only son Daffwield standing there.
"What is it?" he asked his son.
"The dwarf miners have broken though to a tunnel."
"So?" answered his father uncaringly, "Why bother me about it go explore it yourself "
"Father I would not have brought it to your attention if I did not think it important." he paused,and then went on "On the tunnel walls there is writing written by the dwarves of old."
"Well take a party of six dwarves or so and explore it.
"Yes father."

After Daffwield had selected six dwarves along with one of the dwarf miners who had found the tunnel and reported it, they started down the long underground tunnel. When they got to the new tunnel the dwarf miner whose name was Dorfin led the group. The only light came from the lanterns they carried and the ones along the tunnel walls. The dwarves rumbled along at good speed, a speed that they can keep for a long time which is surprising for their bulk. They cut comical figures jogging along with their beards and their bellies waging, for all dwarves have beards and all are of a bulky build even if they are not fat, which is unusual for it is a well know fact that most dwarves are overly fond of the food and drink.

After a couple of rests along the way they came to a place in the tunnel where it was starting to look newer and Daffwield guessed that the tunnel they were going to was close. His guess proved correct, they rounded the next bend and saw a fork in the tunnel. On one side of the tunnel dwarves were digging a new tunnel and on the other side was an opening just big enough to walk through without bumping your head. Dorfin walked through with his lantern, holding it in front of him, Daffwield followed after him and the rest of the dwarves followed Daffwield. Daffwield looked down the tunnel, it ran steeply down, even with the lantern light his eyes could not penetrate the murky blackness that surrounded them for more then a few meters, this was not the usual darkness of being underground that Daffwield had been accustomed to all his life, this was more... he searched for a word, 'evil,' yes, now he thought about it the very air which was stuffy to say the least seemed to be thick with evil and magic. He looked around at the other dwarves that had accompanied him, they were huddled in a group staring down the tunnel in the direction that all the dwarves felt the evil was coming from. Then a dwarf named Binfur broke out of the group of dwarves and walked over to the wall. With his lantern held high so as he could see the writing that was on the wall, after studying the writing for some time he turned to Daffwield and said "I understand the writing, how is it that the youngest dwarf here understands the writing of the dwarves of old?"