Since it had been quite close to lunch time when the two dwarves had arrived, upon her return from tending to her burgeoning farm, Ros insisted that they stay for food. A decision that gave Ambrose a tinge of anxiety.

  I hope they like fish.

  As everyone was eating, Ros told Reabeck her news.

  "By the stones that's fantastic!" She exclaimed, her face lighting up.

  Shigrock slapped Gro-lag on the back so hard he looked like he nearly choked on his food. "Good on ya lad, it's always grand to expand ya brood, I just had another one last year."

  "Did you?" Reabeck asked, shocked.

  Her father waved away the question with a laugh and scoffed a handful of fish from his plate.

  "It has been a bit of a surprise, but a wonderful one." Gro-Lag said, beaming at his wife.

  "It has definitely put a stricter timeline on everything." Said Ros.

  The dwarf belched as he finished his last bite, causing a giggle from Rennie in response.

  "Well then, we'll give you a hand." He declared, right before taking a large gulp of water.

  "We will?" His daughter asked.

  Her father wiped his mouth and gave her a stern look. "Considering all the work you dropped on poor Gro-lag here I think it's only fair."

  She looked guilty at his comment but still protested. "I have my store to manage pa, I have to get back."

  "Nonsense, you have that boy working for you, he can handle it."

  Reabeck considered for a moment. "I have put up the sign saying we are closed for more orders. I guess Seren can handle it?"

  "Exactly." Her father said sternly. "So, what are we doing first?"

  Ambrose, Trelen and the two dwarves made their way over to the barely built workshop

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  "Have you done any building before?" Trelen asked?

  "We don't build homes or other building in Nortok. We carve them out of the rock." Shigrock explained. "But show us what to do and we will pick it up in no time."

  After a short explanation from the Slovèi the two dwarves got on with the tasks they had been given.

  "So, you don't build anything?" Trelen asked, the question having clearly been bubbling in their mind.

  "Furniture and doors and the like." Rea replied. "Since we live in the mountains making rooms is kinda the reverse of this kind of building."

  "So, you all live in the arms?" Ambrose asked.

  "Out deeper cities are, are clan comes from one of the smaller mountain ranges in the east of Nortok." She explained.

  "We began carving through the arms about four thousand years ago. Once we join with our cousins from Astraqua we will form our eternal kingdom of the deep." Shigrock said, an almost religious fervor in his voice.

  "How far have you managed to get in four thousand years?" Ambrose asked.

  "We are not even to the coast yet." Rea said flatly.

  "It is a great and noble cause. A goal that all dwarves no matter how lost they are, can return to Nortok, take up a pick and work." He father said, proudly.

  "And they get paid for that?" Trelen asked, as they placed some rods.

  "Paid, housed, educated."

  "Educated?" Ambrose asked, as he spread clay over a brick he had just placed.

  "All those who are expanding the kingdom are entitles to attend classes in reading, writing, rune craft and history in their free time." Reabeck said, the pride now in her voice.

  "Why?"

  "Why not?" Shigrock boomed. "If one dwarf is more intelligent it can only better all of our kind."

  Ambrose for some reason was trying to think of why that was a bad thing but couldn't seem to find one.

  The rest of their work day passed quickly and with the help of the dwarves they managed to get a surprising amount done. Once they had gotten into a good rhythm the walls and floor of the workshop went up so smoothly, they were done even before Ros had come to get them for dinner.

  "I can't believe it already done." She said as they walked back to camp.

  "Neither can I." Ambrose said, genuinely surprised.

  "We are not fully done yet; it still needs a roof." Trelen added.

  "Well with the clay you got, you can easily make some nice tiles." Said Reabeck.

  Trelen looked at her, a blank expression on their face.

  "I will show you after dinner."

  As they all began to sit down, Ros brought the fish over. "Ambrose, can you light the fire please, we are out of fire runes."

  "Oh, that reminds me." Rea said, quickly. She walked over to her cart, which due to the work Ambrose and Ros had done on the path, she had managed to get a lot closer to camp. She petted her pony as it slowly munched on some grass and pulled a bag out from a small compartment. "I thought you could make better use out of these then me." She walked over and handed it to Ambrose.

  "Runes?" He asked opening the bag. He took out what he recognised as a fire rune and aimed it at the pile of kindling in the fire pit. A small flame flickered from it but before it could ignite the wood, it sputtered out.

  "Good thing if you ever need to you can always take up the pick." Shigrock said, bluntly to his daughter.