The casualty count had not been high: three wounded, and only one of them had a serious injury that prevented him from fighting. But for such a small group, every man who could no longer fight was a major loss.
And now someone had to come up with a way for those men to return to Graymont.
Edmund was trying to come up with solutions to the severity of the problems that were emerging in his mind; he had already heard about the siege of Karak Izor from Victoria, who had even given him a summary of her conversation with the elves.
Although he had expected it to happen sooner or later, it was happening faster than he had expected; he still had faith that Karak Izor would not fall and that dwarven or human reinforcements would surely arrive long before that happened.
The problem now would be that the number of greenskins in the region had to be much greater than they had anticipated, and the thought of turning back and retreating kept circling through his mind.
But it was not only his promise that prevented him from turning around, but also knowing that there was no way so many beasts would be content to remain in The Vaults. He needed all the help he could get to deal with it, and if he managed to save and recruit as many dwarfs as possible, Graymont would have a greater chance of facing the danger.
—Durnik Blackhammer. Captain of the guard of Khazid Grungaz —Durnik looked toward the group of refugees—. Although there isn't much left of what was under my command.
Several hours had passed since the end of the battle when both groups finally gathered at the top of the mountain, where the humans had left the carts. Edmund had considered that position the safest while they decided what to do next.
The distrust between both groups was still evident, despite the fact that they had fought against the same enemies a few hours earlier. The dwarfs watched the humans cautiously, and the Graymont soldiers did the same with them. To Edmund, it was even somewhat amusing. In his eyes, both groups had more in common than they were willing to admit: they were isolated peoples who had barely had contact with the outside world and who now found themselves far from their homes, surrounded by enemies and forced to depend on strangers.
—Pleased to meet you, Durnik —Edmund replied, ignoring the last comment, which seemed directed more at himself than at him—. Edmund Lusignan. I am the lord of the barony of Graymont.
Durnik gave a brief nod in greeting.
—I heard where you are planning to go, if I can be honest with you, Durnik —Edmund said in as flat a tone as possible, hoping it would not sound offensive—. I think it's suicidal madness.
Several dwarfs around him stood up and prepared to strike Edmund, but Durnik did not seem offended and, with one hand, made a gesture to stop his companions.
—So do I. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
The answer surprised not only the dwarfs behind him, but Edmund as well.
—But we don't have many options. If we were all warriors, I wouldn't mind looking for another safe place and risking the elements.
Durnik pointed toward the group of refugees to make his point. There were entire families among them, some wounded who could barely walk, and warriors who had lost their weapons and armor during the escape.
—Karak Izor is the closest settlement that can receive us. If we stay here, the orcs could find us again. If we continue alone toward the mountains, we don't know what we will find along the way.
—I'm not here to point out the flaw in your plans —Edmund said in his merchant's voice— but to offer you a solution that would benefit us both.
If he had learned anything about dwarfs from the stories and comics, it was that they were proud creatures who would not accept help even if they were starving. He would have to use all his skills in dialogue to convince them and make sure it went well.
—Some of my men were wounded in the battle, and I'm afraid we won't be able to take them any farther without putting their lives at risk. —That was why the first thing he did was resort to pity and guilt.
—Thank you, and I'm sorry. You helped us more than we ever expected to receive from a human —Durnik said, somewhat saddened, perhaps that they had not done more before.
—Don't worry. It's something any of us would have done —Edmund continued with a calm smile—. I'm sure many of my men would do it again, but it is my responsibility as lord to make sure those wounded men reach Graymont safely.
Durnik seemed to understand where he was directing the conversation.
—Are you saying you want us to take them to your territory?
—That's right. That way, we both gain from this exchange. I have no problem taking care of my men, and you ensure yourselves a safe place until everything happening here is over.
—They say that humans in the south hate anyone who isn't of their race and persecute each other if they are different.
Edmund tried to understand what he meant, until he remembered something he had heard in history class when he was young; a few decades ago, in the Border Princes, there had been widespread fear of magic and witchcraft. The culture of hunting and torturing mages and witches had become popular throughout the region, and some members of other races had been caught up in the spiral of hatred. But although decades had already passed, that was the problem with dealing with long-lived races; those were events that were still recent to them.
—You're not wrong, but unlike the others, I am the lord of Graymont, and no one will harm you while you are under my name —Edmund said. There was little point in lying, but in a negotiation, a bad impression was not a rejection—. Besides, I could use the help of experienced blacksmiths and miners in my territory, and in exchange, I will give you food and a place to stay.
Durnik seemed to be considering it while some of those behind him were already on the verge of immediately refusing.
—I don't expect you to trust me after a single battle. Nor do I expect you to decide to stay in Graymont forever. If the situation in Karak Izor improves and you believe that is where you need to go, you can continue your journey when you are ready —Edmund continued—. Think of it as a stop along the way.
"Give us some time to discuss it." Durnik still seemed doubtful, seeing so many in his group who disagreed.
"It’s almost insulting to realize how easily I could fall prey to your words just so you can get the outcome you want," said Brogur—who had been standing nearby the whole time—as the group of dwarves...
"He’s done it a thousand times, Dwarf—especially when you wanted a drink before finishing a mission," Victoria interjected with a somewhat exaggerated laugh.
"Bah, you’re just jealous because the lad respects me."
The banter continued for a while until they saw the group of dwarves returning; it appeared they had reached a decision.
"We accept the proposal, Edmund Lusignan," Durnik said after much deliberation.