The dead dwarf

FLASHBACK SCENE: IC time is midday October 27.

Combe Stream: North Bank
Along the North Bank of Combe Stream are paths through the forest that meander at will in any and all directions. The trees of the forest grow straight and tall, and are fairly spaced apart. There is little sign of undergrowth here, but signs of animal life abound, especially near the water. Without a source of light you are unable to easily make out which direction to head.

The dark sky is overcast and dreary. The midnight autumn air is cool but pleasant around you. The moon is above the horizon and in its full phase.

Contents:
Balig
Ovor
Cordelia
Dwarven Camp
Thari
Dead Dorf
Bree Forest
Obvious exits:
 North leads to Path through Chetwood.
 South leads to Combe Stream: South Bank.

Dead Dorf
This is the corpse of the dwarf Norli. The body is face down, drowned in the river. There is a bruise on his forehead and a rock underneath his head that aligns with the bruise. One hand clutches an empty, broken wine bottle. There are rings of red and blue on the hand that holds the bottle (his left). His right hand is fairly useless due to a still-healing injury, and is not holding anything. At his feet is a large rock it would seem he tripped over it. The glass from the broken wine bottle is not near his hand that holds the bottle--it can't be found. His battleaxe is not on his belt.


[Thari(#31038)]
Midday on the twenty-seventh of October is chilly and overcast still. Obviously it's not pitch black, but the light seems grey and comes from nowhere. No shadows are cast.

Hal the warder told the company of dwarves of a death in their company, and he would direct them here. Here are Thari and Frarin. Thari is leaning against a tree, head down, looking rather tense with axe in fist and shield on arm. Here, too, is Norli, or what was once that dwarf. He lies face-down in the stream, absolutely still.

[Cordelia(#1394)] More than a few curious Breelanders have straggled along, following the group of dwarves. They stand off along the path now, set back, not able to really see--or so it seems from the muttered comments of the group.

[Frarin] Frarin stands not far from Thari, just at the stream's edge. He leans gently upon two crutches, each tied to a wrist with a length of twine, and puts little weight on his left leg. Wrapped in a cloak to ward against the grey afternoon, his eyes flicker from the body in the river to the growing number of assembled dwarves, and Breelanders. Patiently, he waits for all to arrive.

[Ovor(#20753)]      Amongst the Dwarves there is the Thane Ovor and one of his Huskarls. And the Thane does not look pleased no, indeed, his eyes are narrowed as he looks upon the body in the river, his hand clenching and loosening upon the haft of his hammer. The Huskarl, seeing this, has steped slightly to the side of the Thane... enough space for a hammer to be swung, for those educated in such matters. It seems the Huskarl is prepared for something or another.

[Thari(#31038)]
"Poor lad, poor lad!" Thari pushes away from the tree, and thereby reveals a bad limp on the left while walking toward Norli's body. The axe is tucked back into the belt.

"I know my leg's bad but I still think I can pull him out--" Up goes Thari's head. "M'lord!" cries the healer with relieved glee when Ovor is spotted. "Thank the forge you're here!"

[Balig(#28433)] Face unreadable behind his beard, Balig stands by the water's edge. His axe is out, but more as a prop than a weapon. Leaning on the haft with his one hand, he stares intently at the riverbank, glancing up only briefly when Thari speaks.

[Frarin] As the healer dwarf makes for Norli, Frarin straightens. "Thari, leave him be," says the silver merchant. "You'll do yourself a harm." But Thari is soon addressing Thane Ovor and Frarin takes the opportunity to turn to the assembling dwarves. "Come on then!" he rumbles over the heads of the others (excepting, of course, the Breelanders). "Let's have a few strong lads up here and get this fellow out of the water."

[Cordelia(#1394)] Without thinking, a few of the human men in the Breelander group step forward, then hesitate awkwardly. "Tried to cross the river in the cold of the autumn waters," one of the men mutters as he gets a glimpse of the body. "That's enough to kill anyone."

[Ovor(#20753)]      The Thane motions slightly for his Huskarl to help move the body out of the river. A slight nod of the head is what he gives to Thari before a glance (though some might call it a contemptuous glare) is sent towards the Bree man that muttered. "It takes more than cold water to kill a Dwarf."

    The Thane's eyes sweep around, glancing at the trees. Again, the haft of the hammer is gripped and released and hefted slightly, as if the weight is being tested.

[Thari(#31038)]
Thari stops after Frarin speaks and restlessly bangs on the edge of the shield. The healer's face turns to the hesitant man who steps forward. "No dwarf I know was ever slain by cold water. Lack of air, I'd say, would do him in quicker."

"Poor Norli!" Thari adds in an axious, deep voice as the Huskarl lifts him. "It is Norli, isn't it? Looked like him! He's been taking to drinking too much these past months!" This last bit is said with a touch of guilt and a furtive glance at Frarin.

[Cordelia(#1394)] The Breelander frowns. "Perhaps not too much water. But too much drink, rocks underfoot, and water cold enough to shock man, dwarf or hobbit into numbness within minutes could certainly do it. No disrespect intended. It doesn't lessen the tragedy," he adds.

[Frarin] Silent for a time, Frarin glances from the body to Thari, then gives a very shallow nod. "Yes, I think it is Norli. He left several days before Hal and I, but he travelled alone." As if on cue, from those assembled emerges the warder Hal, having tied up his pony and coming forth now. He unclasps the red cloak about his shoulders and, giving a nod of re-greeting Frarin and Thari, he rolls up his sleeves and approaches the floating corpse.

He motions to several of the dwarves that have come forth to help. "Here, get a hold of his feet. Watch it there, gentle now," he says, taking a hold of the dead dwarf's arms as he wades into the water. As he attempts to loop his hands under the body's arms, the warder turns Norli in the water so that he faces upward.

Pale and clammy is the skin of the dead dwarf's face, but there is also a purple bruise upon the brow. Frowning, Hal slowly begins to pull Norli up the bank of the stream.

[Thari(#31038)]
Thari turns to glance at Hal, nods in answer, then bows head and rubs face. "To fall by water after all we've been through," the dwarf sighs. The head is lifted again, and forward Thari hobbles toward the body. "Look at that bruise! Knocked his head, I'll warrant. Remember how I was after that one battle? Could have drowned myself then no doubt, and I'd have never known it." A deep frown is given.

[Balig(#28433)] "Ye've not known cold water if you think this is it," Balig mutters, without looking up, as he continues to poke at the mud with his axe haft. As Norli is moved, he stops, and takes a few steps towards the body. His eyes dart hither and yon, resting finally on the bruise. Though his expression doesn't change, his hand tightens its grip on the top of his axe.

Cordelia has disconnected.

[Frarin] Dark grows the expression on Frarin's face as Norli is pulled ashore. Stepping back slightly to allow the dwarves hauling the body more room, the silver merchant frowns and his eyes narrow. But then Hal and the others have Norli fully on shore, still lying in the churned up mud but free at least of the indignity of floating face down in the stream.

Frarin's gaze flicks up to Thari and his frown deepens. "What was he doing drinking out here?" he asks, the question more rhetorical and irritated than anything. "He should have known better, he was meant to be looking for Thari." Hobbling on his two supports, he comes to Norli's side and gently lowers himself to his right knee. He sets one crutch to the side and reaches for the hand of the dead dwarf that clutches the broken wine bottle.

[Thari(#31038)]
Thari now glances at Balig-- another brief, guilty look, shielded from the humans. "Nobody ought to have been out looking for me. I was just fine," she mutters. Her eyes lower to watch Frarin as he reaches for Norli's hand. "No need to be speaking poorly of the dead."

[Ovor(#20753)]      The Thane mumbles something into his beard before he falls silent as he sees the Dwarf's face and hears the name. The Thane's head tilts slightly downwards and his eyes close briefly they are opened and with a quiet growl Ovor swings his hammer heavily into the side of a tree with a 'crack!'. It seems the Huskarl's earlier caution was appropriate.

    "Indeed, he should have known better." Comes the rumbled growl of the Thane as he rests his hammer on his shoulder, stepping closer to the body with a scowl upon his face.

Balig looks up sharply as the hammer smashes into the tree, but he spares the Thane only a glance before returning his attention to the body. "What was he doing drinking out of a broken bottle, is a better question," he says, to no one in particular. "Cut lips don't make the humans' beer any better. And where's the rest of it?"

[Frarin] To Thari's rebuke, Frarin only grunts and purses his lips, sending a look her way that says quite clearly that he disagrees with her stubborn comment. But he says nothing to her, instead addressing Ovor. "He's one of yours, is he not, my lord?" The silversmith takes a hold of the broken wine bottle. His face is expressionless as he pries at the cold fingers and twists the bottle until it comes free.

Holding it up to the grey light, he sighs and frowns. "I didn't know he drank wine," he muses quietly to himself. But he looks up and nods at Balig's comment, then gestures towards the river. "Good point. Here lads," he says, hauling himself to his feet. "A couple of you check around the stream, or at its bottom. Let's find the rest of this bottle." Then, to the world at large, he adds, "What weapon did he carry? Is there any reason he should be without it?"

[Thari(#31038)]
Thari wasn't looking at Ovor when the Thane swings his hammer, and so she is startled. She jumps back, trying to balance on her right leg while pulling her axe free. "Ooh! Ovor!" She gives an odd laugh and takes a hard limp backwards to drop her shield near a tree.

Her hand she leans against that tree. "He was drinking a lot of wine in Rivendell, but then, we all were. He carried a battle axe," she says confidently.

[Ovor(#20753)]      "Ay." Is the only immediate response Ovor gives to Frarin, still scowling at the body the Huskarl moves down back to the river to look for any pieces of the bottle, and more than likely the axe. After a few minutes, the Thane speaks again. "A battle axe, yes... and curious that he is without it..." The last words are rumbled into the Thane's beard as he looks around, eyes narrowed once more.

[Frarin] Leaving the searching of the muddy stream bank to those not inhibited by crutches, Frarin kneels again at the dead dwarf's side. Dark eyes intently rove Norli's pale face and Frarin even touches a hand to the bruise upon the brow. "Odd," he mutters to himself, sitting back in thought. "He looks to have hit his head, but where's his axe got to then?"

He lifts his face from the body and looks towards the stream. Then his brows raise and he points towards a large stone at the stream's edge. "There, might he have tripped over that? If he was drunk, he wouldn't have known any better."

[Thari(#31038)]
"You can't pull out a battle axe on accident," Thari says in a low growl, looking over at the humans. She rests the haft of her own smaller axe against the ground and uses it as a cane now to limp toward the corpse. "Not that there's anything to worry about in these woods," she says defensively, "But if there was, maybe he saw it. Oh! What's that?" The healer points toward a small overhang on the bank. "Under there?"

[Balig(#28433)] "Any one of these might have taken his axe afore we arrived," Balig says bitterly, looking at the gathered Breefolk, not bothering to lower his voice. "They'd not have often seen its like." At Thari's exclamation, Balig looks up. "What's what?" he mutters, before following her pointing finger. Brow furrowed, he takes a few steps towards the overhang.

[Ovor(#20753)]      "If there was and it caused his death, whatever there is to worry about in these woods will have something to worry about itself." The words are quietly grumbled by the Thane before he gives a snort of amusement at Balig's words. "I would not put it past these manlings." Yet, at Thari's later words and pointing, the Thane turns his eyes towards the overhang himself, frowning slightly.

[Frarin] Frarin glances up at Thari's exclamation and follows her pointed gesture to the overhang. He frowns, but leaves that business to Balig and the Thane, again foregoing the pain of standing again. Instead, he waves Hal to Norli's side. "Mayhap he needed use of his axe then," the silver merchant muses still, then adds, "But it might have been simply to clear his way through the wood. Look, he's not been robbed."

To emphasis the point, Frarin takes the dead dwarf's left hand, still adorned in jewels of blue and red, and holds it up for inspection. "Where is his money purse?" he asks absently, looking around Norli. "Here, Hal, roll him over, I think he's lying on it." The warder obliges, gently taking Norli by the hip and rolling the dwarf onto his face.

[Thari(#31038)]
"I think it's the axe," Thari says. In her impatience she walks more quickly toward the overhang, limp more pronounced, then lowers gingerly to her right knee. "Blast this hip," she grumbles, face gone ruddy. She leans over and reaches down, but this short distance defeats her and she can't touch the thing.

"Come on now, lads, I meant for you to come and look, not to stand there staring!" There's a bit of irritation in her voice. "Less standing around! More going around looking for things! If it were a week or two later i'd do it myself."

[Balig(#28433)] Balig moves a step or two faster towards the overhang at Thari's urging. "Here, let me have it," he says as he moves alongside. He has no injury to deal with at least no recent one. Leaning on his axe for balance, he reaches under the overhang with his good arm, and drags the axe out into the light of day. "Hmmm," he rumbles. "Not a mark on it."

[Ovor(#20753)]      When the axe is brought out from the overhang, the Thane walks towards the overhang as well, frown deepening as he sees the axe. "If Norli had been drinking too much, I would think his axe would have either harmed him or been dropped in a more sensable location if he was using it to clear his way. Under an overhang, however..."

[Frarin] Norli's body is rolled so that the face is against the ground and Frarin gives a nod to confirm his suspicions as the money purse, having slipping around the belt to the dead dwarf's backside, comes into view. But then Thari is at it again, berating others as she takes matters into her own hands. The silversmith looks round at the proclamation that the battle axe has been found and he lifts his brows, but soon returns his attention the Norli himself.

Untying the money purse from Norli's belt, Frarin opens it and looks inside. "Still full," he announces. "Well, not full, but we've all been feeling the pinch lately. My lord," he continues, looking to Ovor, "would you care to take this, as his Thane?" He sets the purse aside, then motions for Hal to roll Norli back onto his back. But before the warder can comply, Frarin puts up his hand. "Hold it! What's this?"

As he had been rolled over, Norli's long hair had become caught under one shoulder and pulled aside, revealing the skin of his neck. And as Frarin peers at the still damp skin, a blotchy bruise similar to that upon the dead dwarf's brow becomes clear at the back of his neck.

[Thari(#31038)]
"/Thank/ you, cousin," Thari says to Balig when he retrieves the axe. She straightens again and looks to the silversmith at his cry. "What is it, Frarin?" she asks, and starts the laborious work of raising from her knees.

At last she catches a glimpse. "Look at that! His axe dropped, that bruise-- but it can't have been a troll or a goblin or he'd be eaten and robbed by now."

[Ovor(#20753)]      The Thane turns as Frarin addresses him, nodding his head slightly as he walks back over to the body. "Ay, I shall take it... and deliver it to his kin at the Mountain, along with the news of his death. The Thane is moving to pick up the purse when he hears the silversmith's cry. He turns sharply, eyes coming to rest upon the bruise.

    "Indeed, no..." Here, the Thane's voice drops as he glances around, rumbled words barely heard. "A manling, perhaps?"

[Balig(#28433)] The focus shifts from the axe as quickly as it came. Tucking his own axe back into his belt, Balig raises Norli's battleaxe from the ground. Built for both hands, the weapon is heavy for him, but he raises it close to his eyes to inspect it. Unable to find anything, he shakes his head uncertainly. Then, using the axe as a walking stick, he returns to the side of the body. "A man wouldn't leave his coin, no more than a troll or a goblin," he says, confusion in his voice as he spies the wound on the back of Norli's skull.

[Frarin] "Yes, I'd say human," Frarin answers with a nod to Ovor, pulling back more of Norli's hair for a better look at the bruise there. "A troll would have done much more damage, and a goblin would not have been so clean, nor left the rings or money purse. But I would not say he died naturally, that is for sure." Still inspecting the body, Frarin pauses suddenly, his fingers laced into Norli's hair.

Eyes narrowing, the silversmith parts the hair where his fingers had previously been. "Yes look," he says, glancing up to those gathered. "Can you see it? There is a cut here, at the back of his head. He was hit from behind." But Frarin frowns still, brows wrinkling. "But why then was he not robbed? Even goblins who kill for pleasure would not leave behind such rings as Norli had."

[Thari(#31038)]
"Poor old Norli!" Thari sounds horrified again. She stands still, hand gingerly rubbing against her left hip. "Never was anything but kind to me, he really was." She bows her head with a small sigh.

[Ovor(#20753)]      "To make us think he died naturally?" Rumbles the Thane, hand gripping the haft of his hammer once more. "Hoping we would simply think he had drowned, and then whoever did it would try to take the rings and coin later?" The Thane shrugs slightly at his own words with a scowl. "Whatever the reason, if a manling did it, then he must be found and brought to justice... and the manling should hope it doesn't come from me." The last words are growled out by Ovor.

[Frarin] The Thane's threatening words bring a chorus of alarmed mutters from the Breelanders assembled not far from the body, with some edging away and others sticking out their chests defensively. Frarin scowls and sits back, slowly pulling himself to his feet and leaning upon his two support onces more. "Whoever it was, we should not throw around accusations. Bree has been very good to us and we should be cautious before causing a rift between our folk and theirs."

Hal moves Norli back into a slightly more dignified position face-up, then retrieves the money purse to offer it to the Thane. "Have a look inside that," Frarin says thoughtfully, addressing Ovor. "Perhaps only some of Norli's coin was taken. There are bandits in the area, after all, always have been in the Breelands." And this gets a round of fervent nods from the Breelanders. "Perhaps Norli was killed and the scene left to look like an accident."

[Thari(#31038)]
"Or he could have just fallen over while drunk," Thari counters. She turns and starts hobbling away. "Let's move the poor lad anyway. I've a wagon near. We need to build another cairn. It's a wonder these lands have any stone left," she adds in a small mutter.

[Ovor(#20753)]      "If the accusation is true, then it must be said." Rumbles the Thane darkly, eyes narrowing as they flick over to the Breelanders. "Let the authorities in Bree show mercy to any manling found responsible for this, because I will not." The hammer is hefted in a threatening manner for a moment as Ovor grins in a decidedly non-friendly manner. before the Thane turns his attention to Hal, nodding his thanks as he takes the purse.

    After a brief moment, the Thane nods once more, addressing Frarin as he tucks the purse under his belt. "I will do some investigating, have no doubt about that. One of my clan is dead and I want a good reason."

Balig's eyes follow Thari as she walks away from the stream. He takes in a breath, and opens his mouth as if to speak, but lets it out in a long sigh after a moment's hesitation. "Fell backward, then forwards, and threw his battleaxe too?" he mutters to himself instead. Shaking his head, he hefts the battleaxe and stumps away in her wake.

[Frarin] Frarin only nods in response to Ovor's declaration, though to Thari he shakes his head, seeming to agree with Balig. "Perhaps, but he is bruised upon both his brow and the back of his neck. Strange for a fall into water." But he says no more on the subject, instead hobbling back from the body and slightly towards Thari.

Without a word, Hal and a few other willing hands disappear into the wood to retrieve Thari's wain. A few others come forward bearing a blanket to cover Norli. Thus with quiet solemnity do the dwarves prepare to bury their dead.