Barakor Bloodbarrow hustles along the trail, shaking his head and squeezing Wulffleda's handle hard. Worry creases his face and hurries his steps. Two nights earlier, he had buried himself in a cave while trying to examine some elvish runes. "
That's what happens when dwarves go messing in elvish business," he growls to himself, his other hand patting the spot on his chest harness where Aethel once hung. She had been a good handaxe - his favorite for delicate work - but she was at the bottom of several feet of rubble now.
Bad luck seemed to follow him, and his worry deepens as he considers the gravity of his people sending a fool like him on such an important mission. "
I'm a practical dwarf - I like to meet problems head on. I'm just no good at thinking around corners," his grumbling continues as he keeps making his way southeast. The warhammer in his hand makes no reply, but that doesn't seem to bother Barakor.
"
You probably think I should have stopped and found a hole to hide in as soon as THAT happened!" he says with a wave of Wuffleda toward the moon, radiating its invidious and unnerving bloody glow. "
But we're too close to Lower Posada to stop now, and you know there's trouble when there's Witchers around!" He falls quiet and slows his pace a bit as he finds himself surrounded by grave markers. Speaking in a hush, he says, "
Don't worry, dearheart - they're all asleep... for now at least..."
Out of the ruddy and sanguine gloom, the footbridge crossing the Arel river appeared. The dwarf freezes and scans the area for trouble. "
Too quiet... it's just too quiet," he hisses as he pulls his shield off his back and straps it to his left arm. He creeps across the bridge, eyes wide, palms sweating -- looking for the creatures that come from the water when the bloodlight glows in the night. Then, from nearby...
"
Fergus we need you!!!"
The dwarf trundles off in the direction of the voice, just as quickly as his legs will carry him, and sees a man being set upon by two drowners! Barakor sees him take a mighty swing at one drowner, but his blade catches in bone and he stumbles a bit as he tries to shove the other one away!
"
Time to go to work, luv!" he growls as he approaches Fergus and his dance partners...