~~~~~~~~~~~ DWARVEN PRIESTESS ~~~~~~~~~~~

DWARVEN PRIESTESS by Thranya Thranya Stonehewer stood in the doorway, her head cocked to one side. She debated stepping into the damp room filled with a swarm of ganglers. The noise was deafening, but the sweet smell of ale wafted to her and eventually drew her in. She paid for her mug with a nod and a grunt to the barkeep and headed over to a chair to rest her aching feet. "Och, if'n me kenned wha a pain it were ta come ta Nyrthellan's Woods, me woulda staid 'ome!" She grumbled mightily, the other patrons took heed and stayed away from her table. After downing her tenth ale, Thranya's head began to nod. Suddenly, it fell with a thump onto the table before her. The first vision was of her mother, Derghil, leaning over the blacksmith's burnt and crumpled arm. She was chanting words of praise to Haela Brightaxe, the Luckmaiden of dwarves in battle. As Derghil held the scortched arm it began to heal and regain it's normal color. The smith's breathing slowed to a steady, even rhythm and he smiled for the first time. Derghil turned to gaze solomly at her daughter's amazed face and said soothingly... "Tha Luckmaiden takes care o' tha kin, Thranya. If'n ye be interestd in bein a priestess, I'll teach ya mor'n ye could emagine bout tha ways o' tha gods." Thranya mumbled unintelligibly in her sleep. Her thoughts turned to her first year of marriage to Khourl. How happy she had been to finally arrive in his clan's home. The Stonehewer clan was a fine and proud group of tradesmen who worked for local building projects. Their hand-carved stones were so perfectly level, no mortar was needed to seal the joints. She used her cleric skills to heal the workmen injured in the quarry, and life was peaceful...until... Her fist clenched in her sleep as she remembered hearing that Khorl had been caught in the path of an avalanche. It took the workmen three days of digging to finally pull his battered body from the rock and ash. There was nothing she could do. Khorl's mother had held onto Thranya while the tears poured down. She wept for her husband and for the child they would never have together. For ten years, Thranya remained with the clan in mourning. She loved them deeply and would have liked to stay, but they urged her to move on with her life. The mourning period was over and it was time for her to go. When a passing merchant caravan came through the village on it's way to Nyrthellan's Woods, she joined them. It was with tears and grave sadness that she left Khorl's homeland and kin. ::snort::"Och, me kin'll think me daft if'n I sleep 'ere on tha inn table like this!" She sat up and wiped the drool off her chin. With a shake of her head, she stood and went off to find a place to sleep.