Kolan listens to Kerrick and replies, “Aye a simple question, lad, with a simple answer. We make better weapons and better tools, we trade what we don’t need, and then we make more!”
Bal smirks, taking a swig from the jug, “Aye that is true, you can never have to much raw ore to make materials, there be all kinds of dangers in the deep dark of the Netherdeep, and I for one prefer to have stout weapons and armor on my side more so then finicky magic and luck.” He turns to Jason and shrugs, “Well I shouldn’t be rattling me my bone box as such, but there be a rich iron mine up there somewhere, don’t know exactly where, and we dwarves would brave the furies of the Abyss itself for such a prize,” he adds with a chortle.
Puck grumbles, “We best be getting some sleep, I got the first watch if these adventurers want to help then so be it, but I am tired of prattling.” He stands and moves to the edge of the encampment to watch the road.
Bal nods, “Aye, he be right,” he seals the jug back up, and places it on the pack mule. Bal bows his head, “You all have a good night, may Moradin’s hammer keep the dark dreams away, and may you dream of glorious mines of gold and mithril.”
Kolan listens to Jalban and nods, “Sounds like a right gnomish thing to do,” he adds with a shake of his head.
The next Morning
The night passes uneventfully, as the dwarves rise early, just before the breaking of the sun in the east. Thankfully on the trip so far you have all only used one day of rations thanks to the dwarves kindness in providing you a meal the night before.
The boar has been stripped pretty clean and much of the meat is laid on strings to cure, with generous amounts of salt to help the process. Breakfast is rather simple fare, with more boar meat, and water, and the hard biscuits the dwarves seem to have in abundance.
Kolan addresses the party, “Well I suppose you be pressing on up the mountain then?”
