My dinner with Bordin
Subject: Salix's return
He is all yours. That tree hugger was startin to get on my nerves. I wants to chop me down a tree.
Welcome back. Glad things are moving along with you. We have also been trying to keep up with your comments on Sake-river.
From: Mark
Subject: My dinner with Bordin
"Bordin,ya know, I've not known many dwarves. (Laughing) - For some reason, they seem to take a look at me and take an instant dislike for me. So, forgive me if if my anything I ask seems odd or accidentally causes offense. I'm just curious and I don't know what's off limits or rude.
Was there a big effort to find the body of he who was king? I know that if the head of our Order had fallen somewhere, we would have tried to move the skies, the seas, the mountains themselves to recover his body, so that he could be placed in honor with his forebearers.
It just seems very odd that your revered king would loose his life in a cave in. That seems as unlikely as, as.... well, as unlikely as me convincing Kal over there to fight with anything bigger than that sticker of his."
From: Mark
Subject: My dinner with Bordin
"Was there a big effort? We dug for a week, there was that much rubble. You ever try and move the debris from a cave in? Not the easiest piece of work, I'll tell you."
"First you have to understand that the collapse happend in a place where we don't go much. The roads between the major cities and towns are stable and maintained, but there not be enough dwarfs out there to keep up all the passages and tunnles and things out there, wether from stone fall or other nasty beasties that live out there."
"No, he that was King had taken his body guard by an odd route, one very seldom used. We didn't even know there was a problem for more than a week after when the collapse had happened. One of his bodyguards had drug himself miles just to get back to a main road. He died there and a passing trade patrol found him. Took us days to find out where the tunnel was."
"We searched for days after the rubble had been cleared. We figured that he who was king had been injured and tried to go get help but was attacked and killed, his body devoured by one of the monsters of the dark. The back ways are filled with nameless creatures who feed on the unwary. We lost 15 dwarves from attacks like this while we searched."
"Most of us were willing to stay and keep looking but that was when Barden called off the search."
From: Kevin
Subject: My dinner with Bordin
"Well, I'm sorry for your loss. A dwarf such as your king was should have fallen in battle, to the glory of his ancestors."
With that, Harp will hoist a toast to the fallen king.
"I guess that no one knows why he went by the route he did?"
From: Mark
Subject: My dinner with Bordin
The dwarves all raise their mugs in toast to the fallen king, drinking deeply. Bordin wipes the froth from his beard and says "Who knows? I surely don't. He that was King was known for keeping his people on their toes."
From: Josh
Subject: My dinner with Bordin
"Please excuse me if I offend. Like Harp here, I don't have the courtesies of the dwarves. What happened to the remains of the body guard? Would we be able to pay our respects?"
From: Mark
Subject: My dinner with Bordin
"Such as were found and could be identified were returned to their families. I'm sure they were given proper clan burials. I don't think the families and clans would be willin to let a bunch of strangers visit their remains."
From: Kevin
Subject: My dinner with Bordin
"Have there been any major changes since Barden became king?
You know what's even more confusing to me is that you all are calling him king even though he hasn't been crowned yet, right? I mean, in our country, we would be callin' someone like that a Steward or Warden until there is an official coronation."
From: Mark
Subject: My dinner with Bordin
The dwarf shrugs "Everyone has their own way. It is our way to call the heir King even before the coronation, as long as the previous king is dead."