Randhi and the MG

"Mithril Guard, you say?" The dwarf lounged back in his chair and took a long swig from his mug. "Ah, that hits the spot. Thank you kindly. There's not many who would buy a parched brother an ale any more, not if they were swimming in Mithril!" His companion waved his hand impatiently. "Don't mention it." "It is good to see a brother this far from our mountains", he continued somewhat less gruffly. "One does get tired of the company of humans, even if they serve pleasant enough ale." He looked around in the small hunting inn they were sitting in. Several of the humans around the other tables quickly lowered their eyes, trying to seem occupied with their beers and meagre dinners instead. "But why are you interested in the Mithril Guard, brother?" "Well." The Dwarf took another drink and cleared his throat. "Randhi, the name is. You might have heard of me? No matter. If you meet a pretty dwarf-maid, maybe she will have heard. The amazing Randhi, they call me." He winked. Getting no reaction from his companion, he shrugged and continued. "Fact of the matter is, as unpleasant as this is for me, I find myself in search of..." - he shuddered theatrically and grinned - "honest employment." "See, I used to be an independent, well-respected hunter and trader, but well... wanting to improve relationships with the better buyers of fur in the Blue Mountains, I might have... overdone it a little. "Overdone it?" The Dwarf frowned. With his neatly clipped white beard and charming, honest smile, the Dwarf opposite him might have passed for a respectable Dwarf anywhere, but the talk was not very Dwarvish at all. He was no longer sure whether inviting him in for a beer had been a good idea. "Well, you see, there was this merchant's daughter, ah, what a fine Dwarf-maid she was. Her beard as blonde as the barley in summer... well, what can I say, youth gets carried away, I wanted to stop her but she wouldn't have it..." He pulled out a pouch of pipeweed, offered his companion some and then dispensed a generous portion into his own pipe. Lighting it, he continued. "Ah, it brings tears to my eyes. She damned near broke my heart, she did. But in any case, I could not be tied down. After all, I had to think of my lass in the Copperhills mine, and her fine black braids... I'd not bear to never see her again! And that pretty little redbeard in the Goat Hills. Ah, she will be a catch for the lucky Dwarf who gets her! But... coming back to the matter at hand. I of course explained this to her, but next thing I know, her father turns out to be the head of the merchant guild, and they don't want to see me inside of their mines again. That of course put somewhat of a stop to my fur trade business over there, you'll understand." The other Dwarf rolled his eyes. "Continue." "So I went over to the Grey Mountains. Thought it might be nice to see my kids again... well, as I understand I have some of them there anyway... but then I hear the lord there is not too happy about some buggers stealing their game and selling the fur. Not that I have anything to do with that, of course. But better lie low. And I heard there was a fortune to be made in the fur business with the humans. But it turns out the reports were somewhat exaggerated..." He sighed and stared into his mug. "So, as it turns out, I am somewhat down on my luck. But passing through Bree I heard of this Dwarven company, keeping the roads clear of brigands, and keeping up the trade between the mines on the way. So I thought to myself, Randhi, this sounds like just the company you need to get back to your brothers' lands and earn some copper on the way! And as by a stroke of luck, just as I had stopped hoping to find anyone who has any information about them, you turn up." He looked at the Dwarf opposite him. "So what was the name of the Dwarf I should contact, you say? Vunar?"