This expedition has lead to some treasure! It was not easy to get inside Durthang, and getting out of it proved even more difficult. This fortress of old still harbours orc-filth, hiding away in its halls. I risked being found out the further I went. I thought I could sneak passed the guards in the main hall, hoping to get to the room I wished would hold any record of Sauron's secrets, but upon trying to reach the doors to the lower levels I was nearly discovered and I jumped behind a brazier just in time.
My luck would run out, and I knew it, hence I went looking for another way to reach the lower reaches. As I went looking, I came upon the armory - or at least something that looked like an armory - filled with decaying coats of mail and vizored helmets of a crude metal, carelessly put together, and curved blades not properly beaten during forging as the surface was nearly black of slag, and they were scattered around on the dirty floor, exposed to the reddish blight of rust.
I took one of such blades, one firm enough so that it wouldn't break with a single swing of the sword and a helmet and coat of mail as well. I put it on and looked at myself - now there was one handsome looking orc if ever I'd seen one, and it had a long beard too. Nay, that would not do it, so I tucked my beard behind the linked rings of the chainmail vest, I forced my feet in some orcish plated greaves large enough to cover my boots and picked up some moldy gloves. That looked better, and smelled more like it too. Just to make sure I took with me a shield as well, covered in a painted drawing of an eye. It wasn't a proper shield. The leather straps of the handle had come loose and the surface was dented, but it would help to hide myself more easily in between all the other orcs back in the main hall.
I will be honest with you, I was shaking in those plated greaves. If my disguise would fail me I would be surrounded and all out of luck and this would have turned out to be the last adventure of Burfi Bronzebuckle. But fate was with me and the simple trick worked! It worked so well I even managed to pry the location of the fortress' vaults from a gullible orc. I tried to steer away from the uruks though as they have more keen noses and would surely have discovered a dwarf was amongst them. In fact, after I had hit my orc companion on the head having reached the doors to the vaults, I heard a commotion in the main hall. I feared the uruk overseer might have expected something so I knew I did not have much time. The doors to the vaults were not locked - perhaps they ought to call me Burfi Luck-wearer from now on!
As I opened the doors, dragged the orc in with me and closed them behind me, I could not believe my eyes. There were piles of gold and silver and goblets inlaid with gems; rubies, sapphires and adamants and jewellery to fit them all. To find such a treasure in such a nasty place as this! My heart was suddenly filled with fiery longing and all thought of ring-lore or forgotten secrets ebbed away. If they had discovered me at that very moment, it would not have mattered, for there is nothing that makes a dwarf more fierce than the promise of rich reward. I took a bag from under my coat of mail and started filling it with as much as I could; the gold, the goblets and the jewellery. When I had filled my bag I filled up my pockets to the brim with silver and gems. It had been quite some time since last I filled my pockets with found treasure.
Then I heard noises coming from outside the door. The orcs were coming!
(to be continued)
