Fin rose and clapped the tale. “Well spoken friend!” he moved to the center of the room “Here you are, Dwarin, a tale for you.” Fin coughed and then began…..
“There once was an elven king, who had many sons and a beautiful wife. But one night his wife became ill, and over the following months grew weary and was confined to her bed. The king was sad, but on the night of his son’s wedding, one of the younger female guests, a fair and dazzling elf maiden, wowed the king and from that night she became pregnant. Now the King was dark, for a bastard son was a worry to him, but the maiden reassured him, saying that she would leave his palace at once and return to the outlying town. And once the child was born she would leave and never return, so as no one would ever know. She did this for she loved the King deeply and would not see his reputation sullied.
So she waited and at the due time, a child was born and it was a son. The King was relieved for now she honoured her promise to leave but he was loath to let her depart alone. So, for this reason he sent his great friend with her. They travelled for some days when a group of orcs came upon them. The mother protected her baby as orcs made to take it away but as she pulled away, a barbed orc knife cut her in the side. Poison flooded into her system and she fell to the ground, mortally wounded. The King’s friend, who was a great warrior, beat the orcs back and stooping down, picked up the baby from her dying hands and set off at once for the King’s palace.
When he arrived he was bloodstained and tired, for the orcs had given chase, but he fell before the king and pleaded for him to care for the child. The King consented, although he did not admit that the child was his. He let him stay as a squire in his court and he was given good treatment. However, when the child grew to full stature, he decided to leave, so as not to burden the King any more, for he loved his father.
The King was sad, for he had come to love his son too, but consented to his departure. The son, left his kingdom and wandered the far lands in sorrow, and that is the end of this sad tale.”
A few of the occupants coughed and a general silence reigned as Fin finished, and sat down.
“Why…um…thank you Fin,” Dwarin said, breaking the silence. “I wish I hadn’t asked,” he muttered darkly, returning to his place behind the bar. His customer’s were in a sorrowful mood now.
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