In the Halls of Khazad-dum...
Daeruth looked up from her sketchings and stood as three dwarves entered the chamber they were scheduled to meet, "Ah my good dwarrows! you brought some after all!", the three dwarves bowed low with many flourishes and the lead dwarf arose and approached with an object covered by a large sack, placing it upon the table before him with a heavy clunk.
"Mistress Daeruth our Uzbad should have our heads for this, but for all the help you have given our kin here and in the west it is but a token of our esteem" the dwarf said, uncovering the object to reveal an ornately carved ironwood chest. The dwarf gave Daeruth an odd shaped key with a nod and stepped back, Daeruth unlocked the chest with a 'snick' opening the lid to reveal a large chunk of silvery-grey metal. "It should be more than enough for my purposes my buhêl!" said Daeruth giving the dwarves a bow of her own "If i may be of aid to you in the future you need but send word and it shall be yours.". The three dwarves bowed again and left Daeruth alone in the chamber with the chunk of metal, Daeruth patted the raw mithril chunk fondly then closed the lid of the chest and locked it placing the key in a pouch on her belt.
Daeruth hefted the chest and placed it near some other boxes and scroll cases that was slowly filling up the chamber as she removed all her artifacts and scrolls from Ost-in-Edhil, why would none listen to her! that place was going to burn! she'd dreamt it as her mother had dreamed of the fall of Minas Tirith all those yéni ago, well she wasn't going to burn and neither would her collections. Daeruth wondered a moment or two at gathering the dwarven clans and going to war against unknown foes and sighed, the dwarves loved her but not enough for her to lead them like that, she thought of her father a proud spearman of the Minas Tirith guard, it was he that drilled her with a little sword of her own as a child, she should be able to defend herself in these hard times he said, and it was true, though the hard times seemed to be coming again, she stepped to where her blade was kept and drew it forth, the long slim blade glinting in the dim light of the chamber, she swung it around a few times and the blade made a haunting whistling sound in the chamber, 'hmm need practice' Daeruth thought, resheathing the Noldorin made blade and setting the blade back in it's place, satisfied things were going to plan Daeruth blew out the candle and stepped out the chamber, closing and locking the stout wooden door behind her, Daeruth had a plan and that meant surviving what was to come...
