The Treasure of Bhelbor

Hired

The tavern was busy. The smell of tobacco and smoke was swirling with the yeasty tankards of beer. It wasn't a clean place by any means, filled with riffraff and local farmers escaping a night of nagging from their wives. They were not a clean sort, neither were they orderly or quiet by any means. A half-broken piano was being played in the corner near the bar, a man sitting there with most of his teeth missing and trying to drink while playing at the same time. It was an awful racket but the tavern goers cheered along, clapping to the offbeat playing and shouting for the man to stop spilling his mead all over himself and to play faster.

She had been sitting in the same seat for what had to be at least two hours. Three dwarves were huddled around, leaning over their rickety, alcohol stained table and murmuring in their dwarven tongue. They had only muttered their names when they had entered the tavern, rude enough to sit at her table after calling her there and then not even really speaking to her besides to say they would be with her in a moment. She couldn't really remember their names, not paying attention to anything other than the gold they wore around their necks and the rich silver on their belts.

They stopped babbling for a moment, throwing a glance at her and afterwards looking to one another. One of them grimaced but turned in his chair, the wood creaking under his weight.

"We," he let his hand wave to the other two dwarves that sat beside him, "have decided to hire you."

Her eyebrows shot up but her tone was dry, "Oh?"

This Dwarf was probably the second oldest of the three. His beard was starting to have grey streaks mixed with the brown and went down to his beltline. The grey in his hair were not the only indication of age. His skin was wrinkled – even the skin that couldn't be seen from under his beard hair. His eyes were tired, hazel, and sinking into their sockets, eyelids heavy and low as he blinked slowly. He had to be the youngest as well, his voice stronger that the other two he was accompanying and his posture seemed a bit sturdier. When he had entered, he had brought up the rear, a wrinkled hand with blue protruding veins resting tightly on the dagger at his belt. He wore the garb of a blacksmith, light leather but accented with riches that one could only find in a dwarven hall.

"You do understand the quest, correct?"

"You weren't terribly clear. You're looking for a hired sword, yes?" she kept her voice low, even though there was so much noise surrounding them.

She had chosen her table well, in the back of the tavern. The four of them were gathered around a rectangular table near the fireplace. There were a few ducks roasting and dripping behind her. She could hear the sizzling of the fat as it melted off the meat and fell down into the flames.

The next in age of the dwarves raised his shaggy, black eyebrows a fraction, wetting his lips and clearing his throat. He was a bald dwarf but his beard still grew long and thick down to his beltline. He was like the younger, tucking some of the longer strands down into his belt while not being tucked into his brown slacks. It was clear by his voice he must be a bit older than the last that had spoken, his being gruff and deep. He let a pockmarked hand come up to stroke at the black hairs around his mouth. His cloak shifted off of his left shoulder displaying a prominent tattoo. It was not very intricate – showing the picture of a Warhammer in thick, bold lines. It had faded now over time but the image was still clear enough to make out.

"We're going on a treasure hunt. There's a legend of a treasure being guarded down in the mountains east of here. Rumors say a creature guards it but we think it's all just folklore." He spoke slowly, letting his fingers tangle into his beard as he drew out the syllables of his words.

The first, youngest dwarf nodded, "One tenth of any treasure we find belongs to you."

She wanted to grumble at that. She wasn't too keen about putting her life on the line for only the possibility of payment. She liked being paid upfront.

"And what happens if you don't find any treasure?" she asked. He fingers closed around a cup of water in front of her and she allowed herself to lift the porcelain glass to her lips for a quick sip.

"Then you don't get paid."The third and oldest Dwarf replied for the younger two. She let her eyes wander over to him. He had been mostly quiet the entire time but it was clear he was in charge. He was the eldest and so his opinion and voice weighed more heavily than the other two dwarves. There was a clear hierarchy, the two younger dwarves waiting on the older throughout the night and leaning over to whisper into his ear and check in on him. Even if she could not understand their tongue, she did understand the language of caring and it was clear these two had a certain love of the older dwarf.

He was completely white haired. Unlike the younger two dwarves, the oldest had plenty of hair, untrimmed and untucked into any belt. He let it low free, the white of the strands stark as snow against his black cloak. He was mostly covered, hands concealed in leather gloves and body covered in a cloak. Even by the fireplace the elder seemed to shiver every now and then and she had seen the youngest looking to the middle dwarf to check if he should do something about it. But the elder was left alone. Every few minutes he would reach a gloved hand up and wipe a bit at his round nose. It had turned red with the heat of the tavern by now. The place was packed full and the body heat of others was beginning to warm him some.

From what had been discussed before she had even set foot in the tavern, there was rumors of some hoard of gold and jewels secreted away somewhere deep in the mountains in the east.

She had nothing better to do and the idea of some treasure was better than the idea of no treasure. Business had been slow and she was ready to move on from the small town she was stuck in currently. Even if nothing came of this excursion she could still head east where there was more business in the bigger cities.

She nodded, "Alright."

"So, you agree?" the youngest started back into the conversation, hand now buried somewhere deep in his beard.

"For now, you have a hired sword." She let herself smile, careful to seem polite even to the dwarves that had not been so to her.

It was a bit awkward, now she would have to ask their names all over again.

The oldest nodded slowly, eyes wandering to the fire behind them. His eyes were unfocused, perhaps looking more inward than outwardly to what was going on around him, "Good. Then you will make the final member of our company." He stood, holding a helping arm out to the oldest dwarf who took it gladly, hoisting himself out of his creaking chair, "We have several arrangements left to make. We will be back within the hour to come and collect you here at the tavern."

Her lips turned downwards, "We leave tonight?" it was foolish to take off anywhere in the nighttime unless one wished to be robbed – or worse. The country roads were safer than most but it was still a wild country out there. People were willing to kill for few silver coins and she had no urge to find whatever else might be lurking in the dark as they headed east.

"No, not tonight." The middle dwarf chuckled, rising out of his own chair, "Tomorrow morning, early. Tonight, we eat and drink well one last time before heading into the wild. It is a dwarven custom... I would not expect you to know anything of it." He sighed eyes wandering to his companions, "But we must go secure horses for our ride east and also secure a private room for tonight's supper. We will meet back here and eat well and you will meet the rest of the company."

And with that, the three dwarves left her to her own musings. There was nothing for her to do but watch the dwarves push themselves through the crowded tavern until they disappeared into the mass of bodies. She could wait here for the time being, ordering a mug of tea as she waited. It would be the last time she could enjoy something so simple for a while.

================================================

LADIES IT'S BEEN A HOT MINUTE BUT I'M BACK AND REWRITING THIS MESS

If you remember me from Figment or just like my stuff, throw me a DM