Reunion?

{I’m going to try a little experiment. Let’s see if my Bro is up for it. What seemed like an age ago, the adventures of Udrath and Merecraft began in EQ1 and my brother and I wrote a series of short stories that at times intertwined with each other in parts. Well, since Mere has started playing again and the old team is back together I thought I would start us off again..so here’s a short intro to how I perceive they met up again and then I’m going to see what my Bro can create from Mere’s point of view. Hope you enjoy, and Mere, hope you’re up for the challenge.}

Here we go..

Reunion?

Scratching absently at the rust spots on his round conical helm and elaborate nose guard, the old rugged, untidy looking Dwarf sat lost in thought. Sighing and grunting dramatically, he eased his way up back on to his feet, gritting his teeth against the cracks in his knee joints as he rose, using the shaft of his huge double headed axe as a prop to help him stand. Stretching his shoulders similar noises came from his upper back and neck, and again he grunted getting angrier at the pain the movement caused. Now in a thoroughly bad mood Udrath Stormheart jammed the helm back on to his head and grumbling made his way to speak to old Irontoe about some sort of job that Uddy knew would pay well. Old Irontoes tasks always did.

As he strolled across the tree cities ancient wooden platforms, his mind drifted back to happier times. Well, times that were perhaps not happy, but nostalgia always seemed to make them so. Smiling to himself Uddy thought, ‘At least these old bones used to work back then!’. Stopping briefly to let a group of screaming, playing, dancing and spinning Fae children cross his path, Udrath couldn’t help but give them a deep scowl and growl as several of them glanced his way, causing screams of happiness and play to turn to those of distress. The older Fae leading the group, quite obviously a teacher or nursery attendant to the children, turned to Udrath and provided her own scowl in return, “Stop bothering my students you big Grump” she chided as the group moved on and a young Fae female at the back of the group stuck her tongue out at him. In common foul humour, Udrath again grunted and stomped away in the direction of Irontoe.

As he walked, Udrath took in the familiar surroundings and as he did many times a day he reminisced about Kaladim and how he wished desperately to be together with his own people again. Yes, he would see the odd Dwarf or two hanging around the city, but it just wasn’t the same. The Elves and Fae that occupied the platforms of the tree city were nice enough he mused, but the vaulted Halls and tunnels of Kaladim tore at his soul daily as did the feeling that his destiny was to someday take back the Dwarvern stronghold. Laughing inwardly at his thoughts, he asked himself what he would and could do about his dreams and how an ancient Dwarf almost crippled with arthritis could achieve getting out of bed in a morning, let alone taking back his home city. But Udrath simply could not come to terms with the fact that his dreams would never come to fruition. He needed to believe it. He needed that ray of hope to get him through the day. Udrath was terribly lonely. Sighing deeply once more he stirred his thoughts back the present as he approached Old Irontoe and smiled at the thought of speaking to his kind. Even such a short interaction with another Dwarf would stop the loneliness for a time, he knew.

As he walked the last few hundred yards and came close enough to make out with his failing eyesight two figures, he saw Irontoe was talking quietly with a tall Human who had his back to the approaching Dwarf. Grumbling to himself about the wait he would have until Irontoe and the Human finished their business, Uddy stopped a respectful distance away and waited for them to conclude their dealings. They seemed deep in discussion about something and ever curious and aware his hearing was only one of his physical attributes not to be failing miserably with age, Uddy edged forward to eavesdrop. The familiarity of the sound of Irontoes deep timber in his voice warmed Uddies heart and again he began to think of Kaladim and his dreams of returning. It was then that he realised he recognised the second voice from the Human also, and although he could not place it, something deep within Udrath began to stir, something else that stirred happy memories of his longhall in Kaladim, and perhaps most hurtfully, memories of his now deceased wife Megan. His bad humour returned swiftly and doubled due to the unwarranted an unwanted memories of his wonderful woman and not prepared to wait any longer Uddy moved up directly behind the Human and issued his loudest most offensive grunt, “You ladies finished talking about ye frocks yet? I have business here Old ‘toes, hurry it up you old goat”.

Old Irontoes smiled at the gruff Dwarf and winked knowing Uddys bark was much worse than his bite nowadays, and the tall Human slowly turned towards him, staring. Udrath ignored the rude Human and kept eye contact with Irontoes, putting on his deepest scowl, but words spoken in perfect Old Dwarvern came from the Human, and stopped Udrath dead in the middle of his scowl. Taking a deep breath at the flood of memories that surfaced and unusually the feeling of tears forming, Udrath slowly turned to face the Human, reminding himself he was a proud Dwarf and swallowing the lump forming in his throat.

“Laddy! You... Is it really.... you?” he stammered.

{Over to you Bro...

Be well.}