Igneous Black's story

[Aries1918]

Chapter one: The Stonefist Miners

"I thought you said we would get there yesterday, Folir." Toli was the most impatient of the dwarves. They had been marching almost non-stop for weeks all the way from Vilhon Reach, but Toli was the only one complaining.

"Oh quit your whining, Toli. We get there when we get there. In fact, I think I see it just ahead." Folir Stonefist was the leader of the small band of dwarves of the Stonefist clan. They were a group of 10 men and 5 women miners heading to Vaasa for a mining operation. Little did they know, they would discover more than just ore and gems within the mountain.

"You were right, Folir, I see it now!" Keli picked up her pace, excited to see the mountain they were after. The rest followed her pace, picking up on their excitement. The small band of dwarves found their way to an uninhabited cave in the mountain side to set up camp, and planned out their mining operation. Within a week, they would have the mine site set up and ready to go.

[Aries1918]

Chapter 2: The Discovery

Murin, Gloigan, and Toli were hard at work opening up another room in the mine. Gloigan and Toli were removing stones from the wall, and Murin was hauling them away. They had been at it for over an hour, but they were starting to make some progress.

"I think I got through," exclaimed Toli. "Look here, I can almost fit through the hole!" Gloigan and Toli picked up their pace to get through the opening.

Murin just watched them and laughed, "And you would fit through if you hadn't stuffed yourself at the last meal." Murin tossed aside the last large rock he was given, then joined them in removing the last of the stone from the opening.

The three of them widened the hole large enough to fit through, but were exhausted from all the work. They all rested for a minute, but once they recovered, Toli jumped up to look in the room they had uncovered. Gloigan brought a lantern in behind Toli, and Murin followed wearily after him. They had all expected to see a room filled with glittering gems or metal ore, but instead found something none had expected.

Peeking out from behind a rock was a small, timid boy. He appeared human, but there was something different about him. "Well I'll be," said Gloigan. "How did this little lad get in here?" Gloigan and the rest walked up slowly toward the boy, trying not to scare him off.

After getting a closer look, Murin yelled out, "By Moradin's beard! This isn't just some little lad. This is one of 'em Earth Elemental spawn. He's a Genasi!"

[Aries1918]

Chapter 3: The Earth Child

Folir watched the child from the next room. The dwarves all were overjoyed at having the Genasi child around, but Folir thought otherwise. He did not know where the child had come from, or what else may follow.

Since Gloigan had opened the room up, Folir would have him seal it up again. He motioned to Gloigan across the room and gave his order, "Gloigan, seal off that room you found the young lad in. If strange children like him came out of there, who knows what else we may have to deal with. I would rather not take my chances."

Gloigan shook his head and went to his assignment reluctantly, muttering to himelf, "Sure, open it up, then close it up again. Make up your mind, old dwarf." He found Murin and Toli again to help him in the job, then got started.

Folir kept an eye on the child as the some of the women watched over him. The child was timid at first, and still very shy. He seemed to be opening up to the dwarves though. He could not speak a language well enough that any

of them understood. He only spoke in some odd language somewhat similar to their own dwarven tongue in sound, but not quite the same. Murin had told him the language was the tongue of the Earth Elementals.

Negnar was currently trying to play with him with some toys she had made for him, but the child did not seem interested in them. He had begun to pick up a few words in dwarven; he was trying to talk to Negnar to learn more about the dwarves instead. He was blending in with the dwarves slowly, but surely, and Folir wasn't liking it. The child was no dwarf, and Folir would not be fooled.

The child just didn't seem right to Folir. He would never be a true part of the clan, no matter how much the rest liked him. It was his decision in the end anyways, and he would not allow it. When the child was old enough, and able to survive on his own, the clan would be rid of him.

((I am going to draw this story out as much as I can. There will be much more to come. And sorry if its not the best story ever. Writing isn't was one of my strong subjects.))