Thursday, May 15, 2014

Of Raul King and Odon

This left only Gorthurag, First home, and her sister-Kingdom Alanti, in open warfare. Long they fought and hard. And always far from their homes for Raul King would not desert the Engale who dwelt then upon the Sea of Erun, for he judged the debt they owed those peoples far greater than life. Raul led his legions to the north and south, east and west and everywhere they clashed with the goblins, they had the better of them and drove them into the wilderness. But each campaign wasted the dwarves and the numbers of the goblins seemed without end.

After suffering such losses the Goblin King called off the battles and rallied his people. From far and wide they came, gathering in the fields of the Dulset, until at last their host covered the steppes like so much black water.

Raul rallied his own folk and the King of the Engale joined him. Odon by name, his ancestors stood by the dwarves of old in the Kinship disputes.

"My King," spoke Odon, "This battle is lost already and you cannot linger here for the safety of my own peoples. For surely yours and mine own will be lost. Return to your halls and suffer not to look back at us, for the gods will see us through or not at all."

And Raul turned to Odon and embraced him. "I will not leave your side. Let it never be said a man proved better friend than dwarf." But he turned to his own son and gave him the Axe of the All Father and bid him return with whoever would go to the halls of Gorthurag. The boy refused and Raul commanded him. And no son of dwarven father disobeyed his king, so that Isenhard returned to Gorthurag with the heirlooms of his house.

He returned alone.

~The Codex of Aihrde

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