Elvenshore: 01 - The Dwarves of Elvenshore Read Online Free PDF Page A

you!” at that he left the room.
    Fordin, who had slept while his brother watched over their father, looked at Hemlot and said, “This is upsetting to me, I have never seen him smile.”
    “He only smiles when he hears or is about to hear tales of battles and war.”  Hemlot said ,  Then added “or when he is up to extreme mischief.”

 
The Feast in the Great Hall
     
    As the group of humans entered the Great Hall, they were greeted with sights and sounds that few humans have ever heard.  Instruments played, and dwarfs talked.  There were howls of laughter coming from one group or another, while all of the guests lingered around the tables, but none sat down.
    This hall was twice the size of the lower hall and already had a roaring fire in the fire pit. The pillars were carved in the shape of axes.  The handle was the base and the head of the axe held the roof up.  Along the walls were statues that showed the great deeds of dwarves now dead. All of the tables faced the fire and there were many tables.
    All the guests turned to greet the newcomers with the deep bow of the dwarf.  Likewise, the humans took off their caps and held them over their heart and bowed deep.   The travelers let themselves be led to a table of honor near the fire.  When Sarchise went to sit down a dwarf maiden prevented him.
    “No, no, my prince!” she said, “You must sit at the King’s table.”
    Sarchise looked perplexed, then shrugged at his fellow humans and went to sit at the King’s table.  There were the King and the Queen with six chairs on either side of them.  Four of the King ’ s five sons sat at his right hand side with a chair left open for the wounded prince. Sarchise sat down in the sixth chair. There were six dwarf maidens to the left of the Queen.  The King got up from his seat and announced the start of the festivities.  With that the food was brought out. Plates stacked deep with all kinds of cooked meat.  There was p ig, goat, wild rabbit and deer , and others he couldn’t identify .  Other plates had grapes on them and breads.  Many were v arieties that Sarchise had never seen before.  Plates of cheeses of all kinds also appeared.  As the server went by a table its occupants would grab what they wanted from the plates.  Sarchi se took some rabbit when the mea t tray came by.  Better to go with what you know, he thought.  Wild rabbit was a staple for the Royal Scouts.
    The breads and the cheeses were heavenly in taste but a little hard in texture.  It seemed that dwarves did not like the lighter textures of food, wanting to be able to give it a good bite.  Sarchise felt sorry for old dwarves who were losing their teeth.  There was a round of grapes to finish it all off, and ale to wash it down.  The ale was a little more bitter than what he was used to, but it was very good after a few weeks in the woods.  Sarchise noticed that his friends were having a good time over at the table across the hall.
    Feeling a bit lonely, he started talking to Caspin.  It was a bit difficult with the chair between them. Caspin was not the gruff, disrespectful, snobbish prince that he had met down at the gate, but had a devious smile and seemed to treat Sarchise as an equal.  His curiosity peaked and he finally asked. 
    “Are those the King’s daughters I see at the table?”
    Caspin let out a deep-throated laugh, and then composed himself enough to answer. “Why, no, the King has no daughters. Those ar e the maidens that are betrothed to the princes.”
    Sarchise looked again and asked, “Why are there six of them? I thought that the King had only five sons.” Caspin could no longer contain himself. He laughed so hard that he fell backwards in his chair. He rolled across the floor for a minute.  He sat at the edge of the wall, then stood up and sat back down at the table. He then whispered to the brother next to him who also laughed, deep and loud. And so it went down the row of brothers, each laughing