Ranor\'s Side of the Story

It\'s the day after his brother-in-law\'s less than friendly visit, and Ranor son of Dwanor is making his way to visit his thane. The woodcarver is wearing a nice, sensible outfit. His shirt is clean and his pants are brushed free of sawdust from his work. Straw-colored beard and hair is oiled smooth and tidy. His face, on the other hand, is a disaster of bruises, broken blood vessels, swelling, and a few small cuts. It looks horrible and the dwarf gets more than a few stares from clansmen on his way to Braldor\'s office.

[Braldor(#30149)] Inside the office, Thane Bundazanul seems to be working tirelessly, ordering some dwarves around, reading scrolls, and even writing some himself. He sits on his comfortable chair behind his desk, a pile of rolled parchments in front of him, while he finishes writing something, rolls the scroll, and takes one from the pile to read it.

Ranor has taken care to wash his face, but the black and blue bruising is tender to the touch and the dwarf is almost beyond recognition for the splotchy mess of his face. He casts glance at the guards, then knocks at Braldor\'s door.

[Braldor(#30149)] \"Come in!\", comes Braldor\'s gruff voice after Ranor knocks, and then the shifting of parchment and scrolls can be heard.

Ranor heads into the office, and after a quick look around to see if his son is here, he focuses his attention on the thane. \"Lord Braldor.\" He speaks respectfully, bowing low before approaching the desk. \"I was hoping you might take a moment to hear my plea about some trouble in our halls.\"

[Braldor(#30149)] \"Master Ranor\", Braldor says, as he gets up, and then the smile on his face disappears. \"Please, come in\", he adds, motioning for one of the couches. \"Surely, I would like to know of any troubole in our hall... but what has happened to ye?\", he adds, as he comes and sits on a couch himself. \"Any refreshment, perhaps?\", he adds, as he motions for Ranor to sit.

\"Ahh.. yes. Something to drink would be appreciated, my lord.\" Ranor says smoothly, bowing his head for a moment. Then the woodcarver moves to sit down where Braldor gestured. \"I am worried about my son, Ranol. Are you aware that he\'s staying with my brother-in-law now?\"

[Braldor(#30149)] \"Two chilled ales, Orlin\", the Thane says, and a young dwarf scurries to do his bidding. Turning to Ranor, he regards the dwarf with his dark eyes and undivided attention. \"Well, something like that has reach my ears, aye\", he says, nodding once to the other khazad, and then remaining silent so that Ranor can elaborate.

\"Balur is trying to cover up a deception, my lord. It involves his daughter, Thari and that Barazin. He\'s trying to keep the family silent of the scandal, but when I refused.. \" Ranor gestures to his battered face. \"He\'s accusing me hurting -my- family and I know he must have something he\'s holding over Ranol.\"

[Braldor(#30149)] \"Eh!?\", Braldor says, his brows shooting up in surprise at these news. \"What is this ye\'re sayin\'? What scandal are ye talking about, that involves Thari and the Barazin?\", he adds, as he leans forward towards Ranor. \"And what is this ye suspect that Balur holds o\'er yer son, my Huskarl?\"

\"Thari is pregnant.\" Ranor answers simply, but behind the ugly bruises he has a sorrowful frown on his face. \"Ranol has been acting so strange since he returned home, and he did nothing to intervene when Balur invited himself into my home. I know there is something going on.\" The woodcarver goes on, \"Balur doesn\'t approve of Frarin, and neither do I, but obviously he\'s trying to keep this news quiet. He\'s so concerned with his reputation... and-\" Ranor hesitates, as if to say more, but shakes his head. \"No, nevermind, that is only speculation.\"

[Braldor(#30149)] \"WHAT!?\", Braldor explodes, as his face reddens and controts in anger. \"Have ye proof of this? If that barazin has... if he and Thari... if she\'s... he will pay!\", he adds, as a heavy fist comes over the table lying on fron of Braldor. \"What proof have ye of this, cousin? And what do ye think? I shall have the full picture, and even yer specualtions are welcome\", he adds.

Ranor lifts a hand to carefully dab as a swollen corner of his mouth, the dark, discolored flesh easy to see beneath the blond mustache. He watches the thane carefully for a moment. \"Well, I think that Balur seeks to be thane, my lord. And I think he will do whatever it takes to get it. He\'s threatened to make me \'disappear\', and fabricated all these supposed new debts I\'ve accrued.. As if I didn\'t learn from my mistakes the first time.\" The woodcarver sounds angry and offended.

\"I\'m guessing that he\'s leaning on people to claim I\'m in debt just to silence me! He doesn\'t want Thari\'s mistakes tarnishing his reputation..\" Ranor pauses, then continues, \"Balur won\'t approve of Frarin for his daughter, Ranol won\'t say a thing of why she attacked that Zinbar lass, but.. I heard him and Siv whispering of babies when she came to visit my son late one night. And Ranol .. he\'s a good lad, always steps up to do the right thing with no care for himself, yet now he\'s staying at Balur\'s home along with his sister.. and I have little recourse alone, my lord.\"

[Braldor(#30149)] \"I see\", Braldor says, nodding to Balur. \"News of supposed new debts of yers have reached my ears, master Ranor, yet there was no rpoof then of that... and proof is needed here. Yet, I have but an easy solution for this riddle\", he adds, as his dark eyes regard Ranor intensely. \"I see that there is something going on in here, and I do not like it. Whoever tries to stir unwanted trouble in bundazanul will greatly rue the day he was born, if I ever find these rumors to be unfounded\", he adds, getting a grip of his towering anger. \"I thank ye for yer words, master Ranor, and know that I shall look inot this... and get to the bottom of it\", he adds.

Ranor nods, slowly, but doesn\'t seem entirely pleased. \"And what of my family, my lord? Balur has taken my children from me! Ranol.. he can look after himself, but my sweet Panor is in his house and I do not seek to be further accosted should I try to fetch her!\" The woodcarver sounds angry himself, and frustrated. \"My brother-in-law is rich and has a lot of influence, but I come to you directly for help, Lord Braldor. I do not wish trouble.. I did not lay a finger on him or his sons when they attacked me. But, look at what he\'s done to my family.. and think of what he could do when the next election comes around!\"