Exile

The baby’s first cry echoed through the stone chamber.

Every healer froze.

One dropped the basin she carried.

Another whispered a prayer long forbidden.

The eldest healer slowly leaned over the infant.
His face turned white.

“Silver…”
He staggered backwards.

“His eyes are silver.”

The Crownforged looked shocked and feared this day.   His mind ran in circles.

If the prophecy lives…

Civil war follows.

Thousands die.

Better one child perish than the kingdom burn.

“Should another child bear the Silver Mark, the mother’s blood shall answer for the birth, and the father shall wander until the mountains forgive him.”

————
The mountains were home to a kingdom of dwarves who were run by a high and mighty person known as The Crownforged.

The SmithWright Mountains had stood since the First Hammer struck the world. Within their endless halls lived the dwarves, a people of stone, steel, and stubborn pride. 

He or She ran the multiple versions of dwarves that had come to existence when the Gods decided to create the races of the world. In the past  they were chosen by the mountains themselves and were of a very high honour when the mountains spoke and chose the next dwarf who would reign supreme.  Now it was inherited.

Every clan must swear fealty to The Crownforged.  Seldom would a clan survive when they refused to follow the rules or swear their loyalty oath.  It had happened twice that a clam was wiped out because of not taking the Crownforged Covenant. 

The mountain range was known as SmithWright and held huge caverns that you could mine silver, gold, amethyst , platinum and diamonds from.  They were plentiful in harvest and the gems and precious metals that came from them were greatly sought after by all the kingdoms.


The oldest member of the healers kept glancing and giving the evil eye around the child and using his fingers to ward off the child as if it was a curse that could be caught.  “No woman can birth a child with silver eyes.  We must prevent another from being born.  There is no way that this could happen”

They all knew what silver eyes meant but they all feared the day when one was born and it would tear apart the very society that they had spent centuries to build.

The youngest healer dropped to her knees and started babbling prayers to the deities that they no longer worshipped in the same way..

The one who looked the wealthiest backed away and then out of the room.  He refused to allow himself near this creature who was an abomination in their eyes

Silver eyes have not been seen in many centuries.  It was a sign of a godly birth in the olden days and showed that the boy was touched by the Gods and would become a priest.

The chamber fell silent as the Crownforged rose from the Stone Throne.

“The ancient law shall stand.”

“The woman dies.”

“The father walks in exile.”

“The child shall never again step within SmithWright.”

The Crownforged kept his voice loud and confident during his tirade but all he felt was hot breath and his pulse quickening with what this meant for his people.

He would not allow himself to be replaced by some mere child born from two different clans and low caste.  The Mountain kingdom was his and hai family would rule this land forever. 

It was a thing of travesty that this should happen now.  Fifteen hundred years ago a Silver-Eyed High Priest shattered the mountains while fighting the gods.  Now it is happening again.

The female dwarf looked at them all, she reached out her hand towards her baby and stroked his head very tenderly. Then she caressed her husband’s cheek.  She turned and looked at the priests still in the chambers and the Stoneforged.

Her look held disgust and she didn’t show any fear.

“You wear a crown of forged gold, but not of forged worth. The mountains chose another long before they suffered your touch. You looked upon a child with silver eyes and saw only weakness. The stone looked upon him and saw its heir.

Strike him down if you can. Hunt him to the ends of the SmithWright Mountains.

Burn every hall.

Shatter every clan. Spill every drop of innocent blood. Still you shall fail. For silver cannot be blackened by soot.

Truth cannot be buried beneath stone and destiny cannot be slain by fear.

The day will come when every hammer falls silent. Every forge shall grow cold.

Every mountain shall tremble beneath the weight of your lies.

Then he will return.

Not as an exile

Not as a child…

But as the mountain’s own judgment.

The forgotten clans shall gather behind him. The broken shall become whole. The exiled shall become an army.

The oathless shall remember their names.

He shall carry no borrowed crown. The mountain itself shall place one upon his brow.

Your throne will crack beneath your feet. Your banners will become funeral cloth. The halls that once echoed your praise shall remember only your shame.

Every innocent soul you have murdered will stand behind him. Every widow shall be his witness. Every orphan shall be his strength.
And when at last you kneel before the child you feared…

It will not be to beg for mercy.

It will be because the mountain itself refuses to carry your weight.

Remember this day, false king. Remember the mother you could not silence.

The age of the False Crownforged ends…
with my son.”

Durak was grabbed by two of the honour guards pinning him in place.  The executioner walked up to the mother and had a grim smile but his eyes showed his excitement at the death of the devil who bore this baby.

He grabbed his baton, it was an ancient form of execution that had been lost to them when their magic disappeared.  He touched the ground and sparks started to light up on the tip of the baton. 

He pointed the baton at the woman as Durak struggled against the guards. Her voice came loud “When the mountains call don’t stop him”.

The baton touched her chest and the electricity jolted through her body quickly extinguishing her life force.  Her eyes glowed silver and then faded to her normal brown eyes. 

Durak screamed as if his very heart was being ripped from his body.  The baby started to scream and the healers didn’t try to comfort the baby just dropped the bassinet on the ground not caring what befell the little one.

———

The father was exiled along with his son.  This was sad as he had never worked as anything other than a quarry miner.  He built tunnels and excavated gems and precious metals under the masters of the domains.  He was no leader, he was a follower and did what he was told.


He now had to be the only parent this child had and he needed to protect him by any means necessary.

The gates opened revealing the mountain range a deer walked by.  Dwarves from each of the 7 castes watched from the gates.  An eerie silence is around them and Durak catches a glimpse of his family, they see him watching and quickly turn their backs.  His dishonour is on them.

As he walked out the heavy doors slam shut he turns around one last time to look at the home now forbidden to him. 

Thorgrim cries and they move on pushing through to find a new home away from the dwarven rulers and kingdom.

This is the tale of Thorgrim Stonebraid, an exiled dwarf who was to find out his true passion and unites all clans.
————

Durak Stonevein had made his bed and now he had to lie in it.  15 years since the exile happened and Thorgrim was now of age to start asking more questions about his life.

The mountains had been their home for all that time, hiding from the clans of dwarves.  They had heard nothing from the kingdom or about it for years.  They had blocked all entrances after the silver eyes were discovered.  There were very few dwarves who lived outside of the mountain and those that did were exiles like Thorgrim.

They lived in a small village all full of dwarves and there was a sect of priests that were talking that the Gods hadn’t turned their back on the dwarves but the dwarves who had abandoned them.

His father kept him away from the temple that was built all in stone with many gold and silver ornaments. 

Durak saw the temple doors and all the color left his face.

“Never go there.”

Thorgrim took another step and touched the temple.

Durak grabbed his son roughly by his arm, hard enough to leave bruises. 

He beats him for the first time ever.  He never raised his hand in violence before

He stops and starts crying. He falls to his knees.

“I’m sorry…”

“I can’t lose you too.”

Durak grabbed him and shook him

“You don’t understand. Priests can see what you are.”

______

He was walking near the creek that ran around the mountain and watching the fishing.  Dwarves never went out on boats as they weren’t able to swim, they sank to the bottom like a bag full of rocks.

He was thinking hard about where they lived but he was always so angry about what had befallen the family.  Why was he a young boy punished for something he had no control over?

As he watched the water he began to relax a bit and in his mind he heard the deep voice that sounded all shadowy.

The creek fell silent.

Even the birds stopped singing.

A voice older than mountains rolled through his thoughts.

“Little Stone… I have waited fifteen centuries.”

“Soon…”
“…you shall remember my name.”

Who is speaking?

A god?

A mountain?

A demon?

The First Smith?

Thorgrim looked around the empty creek.

No one stood beside him.

No footprints marked the mud.

Yet the mountain had spoken.

Somewhere, deep beneath SmithWright…
something ancient had awakened.

————

Thorgrim was stunned by the mysterious haunting voice that had invaded his thoughts.  He rushed home feeling out of his depth and wanted the comfort of his home.

As he rushed in the door he saw his father hard at work chopping vegetables for stew for dinner.  He had eyes that were haunted by many nights of loneliness as well as grief.  The times that Thorgrim brought up his mother he had looked at his son with tears coming to his eyes and walked out of the room.

His father still was in his deepest grief and he wondered if he would ever move on from the trauma.  After so many years of asking for any information on who his mother was.  He had no name or even any idea of what she looked like or who she was.

He cleared his throat and his father turned and looked at him “What is it son?” he asked with a tone of concern and love.

He shook his head.  “Pa, I heard something today near the lake.  I am scared and just want to know what this thing is inside me.”

His father glared anger briefly flashing from his eyes.  “Son, you need to stop this.  There is nothing wrong with you and nothing possessing you.  You know that this is nothing but your imagination.

Thorgrim didn’t look convinced but walked away.
Durak sighed and wondered if he should have let his son know what had happened.  He didn’t think that knowing the prophecy would it make him fearless or would it cause him to run away from danger.

He was 15 and wouldn’t reach his age of maturity for another 16 years.  The culture didn’t let anyone younger hold power or even join with the clan. 

His clan was not as well known but secretly had supported the prophecy even enlisting the help of a group of priests who were pushing for the prophecy to come sooner rather than later. 

The mother was adopted by her clan and few knew that she was a true member of the Stonebraid clan which has been hidden away for many centuries.

Her clan had not known this as very few believed that the Stonebraid clan even existed anymore.  They were legends and many had been given the name of that in hopes that the mountain would speak to them.

He didn’t have the heart to tell anything about his loving wife.  His son was too inquisitive and it put him out of sorts.  He knew he took it out on his son occasionally and that wasn’t fair to him especially when all he wanted was a piece of his mom who has been violently taken away from him.

He also couldn’t keep the promise to his wife and let him find out his destiny.  Not after what happened to his wife.  Seldom has her name been spoken in over a decade nor would he say the name ever again or in front of his son.  The death turned him from someone who was happy in his life now he was a shell of what he was.

He had to at least try and explain that it was dangerous and he was not yet an adult.  There were people out there who would use him and those who would kill him just to keep a prophecy that may not even be true to come to be.

———

The chant resounded from the Temple as the Priest led his followers in the Faith of the Living Stone.

Before Hammer, Stone.

Before Flame, Darkness.

Before Crown, Mountain.

Within the darkness the First Mother dreamed, and within her dreams slept the children of stone.
Then came the Gods bearing Hammer and

Flame.

They struck the mountain.

Stone broke.

And from the broken stone came the Firstborn.

The Gods gave us breath.

The Forge gave us strength.

But the Mountain gave us blood.

Therefore we honour the Gods.

We guard the Forge.

But we belong to the Stone.

For gods may fall.

Crowns may break.

Names may vanish.

But the Mountain remembers.

The Priest stood up above the monolith and looked down at his flock.

“Welcome my brothers.  We greet this day with the blessing of the Mountain.  Know the laws as you know your name. Repeat after me the laws.

Stone Remembers — Never believe wrongdoing can remain hidden forever.

An Oath Has Weight — A sworn oath must never be given casually.

Clan Before Coin — Wealth must never be valued above family.

The Forge Reveals — Hardship reveals character.

No Crown Stands Above Stone — Even the Crownforged answers to something greater.

The Dead Remain With Us — Ancestors must be remembered and their wisdom preserved.

When the Mountain Speaks, Listen — No law, ruler, priest, or tradition may silence the true voice of the mountain.

Hear now the prayers of your most devout followers.

He grabbed the knife and slit a small cut in his hand.  He squeezed the hand into a fist and let the blood drip from between the fist and onto the Monolith.  It glowed silver as his blood hit it.  This was the first time ever that the monolith glowed silver.  Something has changed, the time was almost at hand.

He would need to keep an eye on the portents and find out why the mountain has now awakened.  Was this a good or a bad sign?

One of the five brothers entered the room off the hall once they had returned to their normal duties. 

“Stonefather the brothers are very concerned about the silver light, we need to understand what this means”

The Stonefather removed his outer robe “This is something new.  I will need to check our tablets and look to see what this could mean.  Do not let anyone outside of the priests that this is a portent of something to come.  No one needs to know what is happening until we know more.”

He waited for the brother to leave and went to the tablets made out of stone that had been magically imbued.

Had he miissed some sign.  He pulled out a tablet and began reading until he found a passage.  An obelisk of silver means one of the original clans the Stonebraids has come back..

He glared, no dwarf could hide the Silver Eyes.  There was one entry and he scanned through and found it.  There would be a member of the clans born with silver eyes.  The exile loses the mark as the eyes turn grey but that isn’t because of a falsehood but because no baby can handle the mountain until they grow older.

The only way the eyes would be seen by an outsider is if they were within the reach of the power of the obelisk.  He would have to watch for any sign of this person.  Who could it be?


——-

Thorgrim was in his room looking at the rocks that he had collected.  There were many ones but his favourites were the geodes that he had found that had cracks and such bright vivid blues.

He had always loved the rocks but he felt something was different.  He could sense the vibrations of the rocks.  This was new and he also felt that he couldn’t confide in anyone, least of all his father.

The geodes were awakening every time he touched them.  When he listened it said “Remember thy mother.  She holds the key”

He was shocked and has spent all his years asking about his mother.  It was time to force the issue now.  His father never would answer but he knew that there were texts his father had hidden.

He didn’t like betraying his father’s trust but how else was he to find out what was going on.  He would have to wait till tonight.

He reached over and his hand brushed against a silver pendant that he never remembered seeing before.   He knew silver was important so he looked and the design was intricate and very feminine.  It was a rose but designed in the rose was an eye.  He looked more closely and the eye seemed to be staring at him and following him as he moved his head to get a better look.

Something changed and he was pulled into a dreamlike state.

——

He was looking out of eyes that were not at the right height level.  They were from a shorter person that Thorgrim was.  The center of gravity was lower and this person moved with grace.  long hair that was reddish but had a silver sheen to it.

This was a girl and he could tell that she must be around the same age as he was.  He had never seen a female dwarf with this style of hair.

She had a familiar feel as if he should know this lady. 

“Thyrra” said a booming voice.  “You have walked the mountains for 250 years.   You have been amongst the common folk and know.  What are your thoughts, are they ready to welcome back the Mountain and embrace the changes we know will come”

The melodic nature of her voice hypnotized those around her “The common people are ready for the change.  Every year more people are feeling out upon and they are changing the members of the clan castes every year.  Too many are changed to low caste despite where they should be.  The nobility are not ready and never will be.  It will be a civil war.”

She felt the entire cavern and saw those of the original clans that still survived coming closer.  “Learn more and go out into the world to bring back the clan name.  The blood remains hidden. 

“When silver opens its eyes again, bring him home.”

———-

Thorgrim pulled himself out of the dreamscape that he had been in.  This was unique and it felt unreal at the same time.  Who were these people and what did that mean that Stonebraid will rise again.

His name was Thorgrim Stonebraid but was he really a member of that clan of myth and mystery?

The symbol must belong to Stonebraid clan but they were extinct.

He took hours to fall asleep and then he dreamed of Thyrra and trying to find out just who she was as well as what that vision meant.

———

The Crownforged stepped closer to the ancient stone.

A single silver vein ran through its black surface.

He stopped breathing.

For fifteen hundred years the Firststone had remained black.

His father had stood before it.

His grandfather.

Twenty-three Crownforged before them.

Nothing.

Not a flicker.

Not a whisper.

Not a single thread of silver.

He reached toward it.

The moment his fingers touched the stone, the silver vein brightened.

The Crownforged tore his hand away.

“No.”

The word sounded small within the enormous chamber.

He looked toward the sealed doors.

Fifteen years.

It had been fifteen years since the Stonebraid woman had stood before his throne and promised that her child would return.

He remembered her final expression.

Not fear.

Certainty.

“The age of the False Crownforged ends with my son.”

He had called it the desperate curse of a condemned mother.

He had ordered her name removed from the records.

Her clan erased.

Her words forbidden.

And her son cast beyond the gates.

The Crownforged stared at the silver running through the Firststone.

Another vein appeared.

Then another.

They crawled

slowly through the black rock like waking roots.

Something moved beneath his feet.

Not an earthquake.

A heartbeat.

Once.

The entire chamber trembled.

Then silence.

The Crownforged backed away.

For the first time in fifteen years, he allowed himself to speak the name he had forbidden anyone else to utter.

“Stonebraid.”

Far beyond the sealed halls of SmithWright, Thorgrim woke suddenly from his sleep.

His eyes were silver.

What could this mean?

Was the prophecy true?

Was the threat 15 years ago really just a warning?

What happened 1500 years ago to cause the Gods and Mountain to turn against the dwarven kingdom.

slowly through the black rock like waking roots.

Something moved beneath his feet.

Not an earthquake.

A heartbeat.

Once.

The entire chamber trembled.

Then silence.

The Crownforged backed away.

For the first time in fifteen years, he allowed himself to speak the name he had forbidden anyone else to utter.

“Stonebraid.”

Far beyond the sealed halls of SmithWright, Thorgrim woke suddenly from his sleep.

His eyes were silver.

What could this mean?

Was the prophecy true?

Was the threat 15 years ago really just a warning?

What happened 1500 years ago to cause the Gods and Mountain to turn against the dwarven kingdom.