tourmalines—placed in such a way that they created a rainbow of colors. On each side of the circlet the shapes of a chisel and hammer rose out and crossed paths. It was magnificent and elegant, the true crown of a queen. More than a thousand dwarves stood in silence as Grizzle Stoneheart set that crown on Frau Gemcutter’s head. When he stepped back she stepped forward, and the room erupted in cheers.
Frau stood alone at the front of the platform. She raised one hand to silence the hall. When it was quiet she raised her voice.
“ I am Frau Gemcutter, granddaughter of Gefallen Gemcutter. Together all the kingdoms of dwarves will reestablish the kingdom that my family created and Miskrull destroyed. Let any who stand before us fall, as we restore what was taken.”
Another cheer went up , and Frau waited for it to die down before she continued. After each cheer came a silence as another thousand mugs of ale flowed down a thousand dwarf throats. In the quiet she raised her voice again.
“Behind me are the first dwarves to join me in reestablishing Shinestone , my advisors and my council. To my left is Fuhrung from Haufen, and now of Shinestone. To my right is Grundel Stoneheart, son of Grizzle Stoneheart of Evermount, and now of Shinestone. Together with those of you who choose to follow us, we will rebuild Shinestone and return it to its former glory.”
Grundel and Fuhrung were at her side now. She stepped back , and they both faced her, went to a knee, and put their fists to their chests. In unison they pledged themselves to her, but Grundel’s voice drowned out the voice of Fuhrung.
“I , Grundel Stoneheart, pledge myself to Shinestone and submit myself to the rule of its queen, Frau Gemcutter. May Bordin burn me if I break this oath.”
She put a hand on each of their shoulders. When they rose the formalities were over and the drinking began in earnest.
The rest of the night Frau accepted pledges of loyalty from many dwarves who promised to follow her to Shinestone. Many more would later join the cause, as some would come from their own kingdoms to help clear the mountain and to rebuild, even if they would not stay to make their homes in Shinestone. But for now, Frau’s main concern was getting to the mountain and taking it back from whatever pests had flooded in during the dwarves’ absence.
Chapter Four
Dungin Mountain
Fredin stood in a large public area watching as Narren approached him with his entourage. Fredin couldn’t help but smile. He looked over at Geischeit , who was also wearing a knowing smile.
Vingaza watched in anticipation from the corner of the room. The one good thing about being cramped up with orcs was there was always entertainment. There were always fights, more precisely. Now he was going to watch Fredin fight the other clan chief. The best part was that the other orc didn’t even know that he had been set up. He watched as the big clan chief approached the huge Fredin.
Fredin was by far the largest orc Vingaza had ever seen , and that was saying something after going into battle at Evermount with over a hundred thousand of them. None of them had even come close to Fredin’s size. The average orc was slightly larger then the average human. Fredin was the exception. He had come from a long line of breeding for size. He was nine feet tall, probably three feet wide, and a solid five hundred pounds of thick, ripped muscle. He was a daunting sight even to clan chiefs, who were typically bigger orcs.
The day after Fredin had asked if the wizards could help rebuild the fallen rooms and tunnels , he had ordered Narren to have his orcs clear the rubble in those areas. A couple had been crushed the first day when enough rubble had been cleared to cause a weak ceiling to collapse. The next day, knowing Fredin’s plan, Vingaza had sent wizards down to watch the orcs clear the rubble. He gave precise instructions that they were not to help in any way. That was yesterday. Now