the dwarves and humans. It was the care for each other and the sense that those around each warrior would stand there in support, the confidence of community and sacrifice. The willingness to stand and die before abandoning a friend. The dwarves had it most of all, but so did the humans of Nesme and Silverymoon, while the trolls fought singly, self-preservation or bloodlust alone keeping them in battle.
Dawn broke an hour later to reveal a field of blood and body parts, of dead men, dead dwarves, and burned trolls, of troll body pieces squirming and writhing until the finishing crews could put them to the torch.
Battered and torn, half his face gouged by filthy troll claws, Torgar Hammerstriker walked the lines of his wounded, patting each dwarf on the shoulder as he passed. His companions had come out from Mirabar behind him, and had known nothing but battle after vicious battle by the end of the first tenday. Yet not a dwarf was complaining, and not one had muttered a single thought about going back. They were Battlehammers now, one and all, loyal to kin and king.
The fights, to a dwarf, were worth it.
As he moved past the line of his fighters, Torgar spotted Shingles talking excitedly to several of the Silverymoon militia.
"What do ye know?" Torgar asked when he came up beside his old friend.
"I know that Alustriel's not thinking to move north against Obould," came the surprising answer.
Torgar snapped his gaze over the two soldiers, who remained unshaken and impassive, and seemed in no hurry to explain the surprising news.
"She here?" Torgar asked.
"Lady Alustriel is with Galen Firth of Nesme," one of the soldiers asked.
"Then ye best be taking us there."
The soldier nodded and led them on through the encampment, past the piled bodies of Silverymoon dead, past the lines of horribly wounded men, where priests were hard at work in tending the many garish wounds. In a tent near the middle of the camp, they found Alustriel and Galen Firth, and the man from Nesme seemed in as fine spirits as Torgar had known.
The two dwarves allowed the soldiers to announce them, then walked up to the table where Lady Alustriel and Galen stood. The sight of Alustriel did give stubborn Torgar pause, for all that he had heard of the impressive woman surely paled in comparison to the reality of her presence. Tall and shapely, she stood with an air of dignity and competence beyond anything Torgar had ever seen. She wore a flowing gown of the finest materials, white and trimmed in purple, and upon her head was a circlet of gold and diamonds that could not shine with enough intensity to match her eyes. Torgar could hardly believe the thought, but it seemed to him that next to Alustriel, even Shoudra Stargleam would be diminished.
"L-lady," the dwarf stuttered, bowing so low his black beard brushed the ground.
"Well met, Torgar Hammerstriker," Alustriel said in a voice that was like a cool north wind. "I was hoping to speak with you, here or in the inevitable meetings I will have with King Bruenor of Mithral Hall. Your actions in Mirabar have sent quite an unsettling ripple throughout the region, you must know."
"If that ripple slaps Marchion Elastul upside his thick skull, then it's more than worth it," the dwarf answered, regaining his composure and taciturn facade.
"Fair enough," Alustriel conceded.
"What am I hearing now, Lady?" Torgar asked. "Some nonsense that ye're thinking the battle done?"
"The land is full of orcs and giants, good dwarf," said Alustriel. "The battle is far from finished, I am certain."
"I was just told ye weren't marching north to Mithral Hall."
"That is true."
"But ye just said - "
"This is not the time to take the fight to King Obould," Alustriel explained. "Winter will fast come on. There is little we can do."
"Bah, ye can have yer army - armies, for where's Everlund and Sundabar? - to Keeper's Dale in a tenday's time!"
"The other cities are watching, from afar," said Alustriel. "You do not understand the scope of what has befallen the region, I fear."
"Don't understand it?" Torgar said, eyes wide. "I been fighting in the middle of it for tendays now! I was on the ridge with Banak Brawnanvil, holding back the hordes. Was me and me boys that stole back the tunnels so that damned fool gnome could blow the top off the mountain spur!"
"Yes, I wish to hear all of that tale, in full, but another time," Alustriel said.