The well-apportioned Military Hall of Durin’s Folk served as the setting for the Mountain Council, as the Dwarf-lords named it. Lord Thorslin of the Blue Mountains Regiment took a seat opposite Frimsi Gembeard, who sat in the place of Lord Thordralin of Durin’s Folk; it was plain now that Thordralin would not appear, and so wisely gave his proxy. Lady Seregrian of Bar-en-Acharn took a seat opposite Thorslin, and the three formed a triskelion at the table, each equal to the other.
“So, at last; the Regiment, the Folk of Durin, and my House,” she offered. “We honor our accord, good Frimsi.”
“I wonder, was there not to be a third face from the mountain?” Thorslin said, rereading the message he brought. “It was a vague summons: there is dire news, please meet us here, and little else.”
“I agree, the messages were vague on points,” Seregrían said, “but I have come prepared to report just the same.”
“Well, to prove the honor of this accord, it has to make us all richer, directly or indirectly,” Frimsi said smiling. “Right now, we are just trying to mitigate expenses. Can't really trade in peace if goblins are raiding every caravan,” he chuckled.
“But yes, despite my humorous demeanor there is a dire matter at hand, though I would suspect Lady Seregrían here knows the most about it; as she is the one who first sounded the alarm.” Frimsi gestured to invite Seregrían to speak.
”Upon hearing the rumors, I dispatched scouts to search out Rath Teraig from the heights above,” she began. “The report that comes is alarming: goblins, and other creatures that ally with them, are massing in the ravines to the south, and in numbers far greater than Mathi's garrison.”
Thorslin shifted in his seat. “I see. Well, that is an alarming bit of news.”
“Alarming, sure, but not unusually so,” Frimsi said. “Gondamon has been through worse before.”
“But what is more troubling,” Seregrían went on, “is the news that they are better organized, and better led. A mindless foe is one thing; but when that foe has a will and resolve behind it, is when peril is upon you.”
“Ah, now this I find alarming,” Frimsi said. “This organized force may be counting on Dwarves like me to assume this is just business as usual.”
“And that is what you would have rightfully thought,” Seregrían said.
“Their numbers do not worry me; it is this organizing will that I am worried about,“ Thorslin added.
“What also troubles further, is the report you shared that the Dourhands are also causing trouble,” Seregrían said. “Gondamon is beset from without, and from within.”
“I thought the Dourhands were avoiding us,” Thorslin said. “There haven’t been any reports of them for a while.”
“Indeed, Thorslin, that threat has been slumbering for a time,” Seregrían said. “But this would tell us their lot has changed, and they are bold enough to move once more. But there is one thing more.
“For all their organization and new will, they are weak in one thing; this goblin-host lacks engines, equipment for a prolonged siege. If they are intent on assaulting Gondamon, they do so without thought to the walls.”
“This is unusual,” Frimsi said, “even for goblins.”
“No siege engines,” Thorslin asked, “not even blast-powder either?”
“None… ah, and that is the reason behind the Dourhands!” Seregrian suddenly realized. “They hope to have help from the inside, to let the attackers simply walk unopposed through opened gates!”
“Well, whatever is going on we can handle it,” Frimsi stated with a thump of a tankard on the table. “'Gondamon may be beset from within, but not for long if I can help it! Let's just say I have a lot of experience with infiltration!” he declared with a smile.
“So what is it you plan?” Thorslin asked bluntly.
“My plan? Ha! I could surely think of something,” Frimsi laughed again, “but I was deferring to Thordralin's military experience when making a plan to counter this threat. Thordralin thankfully gave me some of his notes.”
“First, my good beards, allow me to make clear something,” Seregrían said. “Even if there were no reason other than our spoken and written accord, still the Elves of my household would rally to your side. Should Gondamon fall, Duillond and all points east would be threatened - the flow of goods and traffic would cease, and that would impact us all.”
“Ah, and the loss of trade would beggar us all!” Frimsi cried.
Thorslin had been silent, reckoning his forces in his memory, and turned to Seregrían. “How many elves can you muster for this venture?”
“My best reckoning is a dozen at arms, with half as many in support,” she offered. “It may not match the numbers of your ranks, but we are possessed of might that the enemy could not suspect.”
“My numbers are in a flux,” Thorslin admitted. “I have had to send some disruptive elements into the canals to clean the waters. But I am sure I can scrape up enough to handle some goblins and a few Dourhands.”
