Raging Tauren part six

Raging Tauren - Chapter Two

“Reet! So that’s ‘ow it was then?” said the dwarf slamming his mug of dark ale on the wooden table, splattering suds on the table and floor in the process. The fact that the any dwarf would spill even a drop of good dwarven brew perhaps told of the slight stage of inebriation of the bearer of the mug. The dwarf wiped the suds off the front of her leather vest with her hand, followed by her mouth with the back of her sleeve.

“Aye, said the dwarf across from her, also slamming her mug on the table, with a nod that was so violent that her twin red braids slapped on the back of her steel armor, That’s ‘ow the tale come down tae me from me mother’s, mother’s, mother…”

A somewhat puzzled look crossed the face of the first dwarf as if she were trying to remember if she had locked the door to her house. She muttered a bit to herself – counting out the “mothers” on fingers which where very lithe for a human let alone a dwarf.

“….yer mother’s, mothers….then turning to her old friend Brighde she said loudly, YER GREAT GRANDMOTHER!”

“Reet,” said Brighde taking another long draft of ale, “so ye knew ‘er then did ye?”

“Nooo,” came the reply, “I kin count is all – unlike some o’ the rest o’ us.”

“I kin’ count as well,” said Brighde in mock earnestly,"...I kin' count the two o' ye sittin' across from me!" With that she laughed hardily and took another long gulp of her ale.

“So tell me Brighde, said the first dwarf, jus’ what is it that yer father was doin’ havin’ dealins with the Dark Iron Dwarves in the first place; him bein’ the father of a fine upstandin’ paladin such as yerself?”

“I kin’ tell ye that was a fact that he was no proud of in the first place”

“Dealin’ with the dark irons?”

“Nooo, said Brighde, her speech now slurred than before, ‘avin’ a paladin fer a daughter. He was dead set agin it from the first.”

“Let me guess – ‘e asked ye ‘ow ye would ever ‘ave any children an’ yer mother cried fer half an hour?”

“O’ so ye heard already did ye?” asked Brighde.

“Noo. I ‘ad the same conversation wi’ me mum an’ da’ meself. ‘Lara’ ‘e says tae me one day, ‘ow will ye e’er have any wee bairns if ye keep up wi’ this life o’ yourin?’”

“What did ye tell ‘im?” asked Brighde, with another long gulp, now barely able to hold herself upright in the chair.


“What could I say?” said Lara, “I offered tae steal ‘im a few.”

With this both Brighde and Lara laughed loud and long, both dwarves barely able to catch their breath. Finally the laughter settled down to a chuckle as both women sat drinking their ale in silence, just enjoying each others company; for that is what is said to be the measure of a true friendship – when silence can pass between two friends and not be uncomfortable.

The deep thrumming of the great forge filled in the background to the more present sound of laughter and clinking of glasses that was the sign of the stock and trade of every good Inn. And the Stonefire Inn of Ironforge was one of the best. The air smelled of a mixture of hops and a slight odor of smoke that was ever present in Ironforge. It was hard to be entirely rid of the smell with such a large forge operating completely underground.

“Well I am glad tae see me ol’ friend back, nae matter how sad the circumstances,” said Lara finally breaking the silence.

“Well it’s good to be back,” Brighde answered, “it has been a long time.”

“It is jus’ a shame that it took the death o’ yer mother fer the Thane tae bring ye ‘ome finally.”

There was a long silence. Then Lara spoke again, this time in a hushed tone so no one else around her could overhear the conversation.

“So jus’ what WAS yer father doin’ messin’ around wi’ the dark irons?”

Learning in Brighde also spoke in an undertone, “Well it was the bloody Thane what sent da’ all that way tae Mulgore in the first place….the right bloody bustard tha’ ‘e is.”

“Shh-shh-shh,” hissed Lara sounding somewhat like a drunken asthmatic snake, “Don’t let anyone ‘ear ye say somethin’ like that in here.”

“Well the Thane ‘as that comin’ n’ a lot more I kin tell ye’ He be the whole reason tha’ dad is dead in the first place…” said Brighde her voice raising, then trailing off a bit as she noticed some of the other patrons of the Stonefire Inn glancing in their direction.