[piosenniel]

Old Fálki Ironforge stood up from his bench, waiting as the waves of ‘yay’ and ‘nay’ died down in the hall. There was many a family head who stood by Viss’ convictions and as many who were planted firmly on the side of the Glitterfists. The King nodded at the elder Dwarf, and a relative silence fell as Fálki made his way to the center of the hall.

‘I’m not opposed to lending my axe to the Elves if that is what we decide should be our course and the King commands. But . . .’ he paused and looked squarely at Viss and then at Afi. ‘I hope we can make that decision based on what’s best for all us who are Aulë’s Children. And not on what’s best for the Elves or best for one family in the clan.

‘The Elves have proved admirable, reliable trading partners. There has been great profit on both our sides. Our coffers are full, our knowledge of working with gems and metals enriched through them. And they in turn have profited from us. It is a good relationship, a sustaining relationship for our clan and their kindred. And it has proven an enduring one since first our forefathers treated with them in Beleriand. We should take this into consideration as we make our decisions on what kind of aid we can best offer them.’

He looked toward the tables where the Glitterfist men sat, their eyes fixed hard on him. ‘Dwarf lives have been lost in this long struggle with the Dark Lord – that first of them and now his servant and all their foul creatures. That is a fact that should never be taken lightly. To do so would be to cheapen the worth of those lost lives; to belittle the grief that their families endure.’ He drew a breath, pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts. A number of the Glitterfist family and those who felt as they did were nodding their heads in accord with what he said.

‘You know,’ he went on, looking round the hall, ‘we would all be hard put to find a family who has not lost a member or more to this long enmity the Orcs and their Masters bear for the Elves. It would seem almost natural that we Dwarves would want to close ranks and seek to protect ourselves from further loss. But what does that say of those who chose to go on the patrols to protect the Elven envoys and traders and who fell in battle? Are their deaths now demeaned because they followed a long established practice of ours and reached out a hand to help the Elves? Again, this is something I think we should take time to consider before a final decision is made.’

‘Now, about this thought of us as cowards and, worse yet, oathbreakers. Who would dare call us such? Have we not placed our axes and our strong arms between the Elves and the Orcs time and time again. None can call us cowards. None!’

‘And as for ‘oathbreaker’ – that is a harsh word to use for us and an untrue one. We have never sworn an oath to any of the Elves at any time in our long history with them. Our fealty, or so it seem to me, is to our King and his to us. And those oaths have not been broken.’

‘So, what shall we do? I can’t speak for you or for the King. But I’d like to see us offer our aid to the Elves as we have been doing. We can’t afford to send a large host of warriors. Or at least I don’t see how we can do so. We have two fronts of our own to defend – the East and the West Gate. To send a large unit of Dwarven warriors to the Elven city would stretch us far too thinly.’

‘What we can do is to continue harrying the Orcs and those mannish followers of Sauron from behind. With our small patrols. And from what I’ve heard of the size of force that the Dark Lord is sending against the city, I think we should be realistic. The Elves cannot hope to defend Ost-in-edhil with any success. It is a pretty thing, their city, but too vulnerable. It can offer no real resistance against the massive onslaught that Sauron plans. We cannot save the city, not even if we emptied our halls and all joined in.’

‘But we can aid the survivors, the refugees. Many can be brought to safety in the mines then helped to reach the protection of the Lady and her Woods. Most of Sauron’s army will be concentrated on the western side of the mountains. Small groups of us will be able to see the Elves to the protection of Lorien and at the same time there will be enough of us remaining in the mines to protect our families should need arise.’

'Anyway, that's what I think we can do - to honor our longstanding relationship with the Elves; our dead who have already fallen; and protect our own families.'

Done speaking, Fálki walked back to his seat. There were hushed murmurings as groups of Dwarves about the hall put their heads together to discuss what he had said.

~*~

King Durin called for one of his aides to pass among the heads of the families with the small bowl of pebbles for the vote. Each family head was to pick two of the small rounded pebbles – one white and one black. They would pass in a line before the King’s chair and drop one of the pebbles into a tall container. White for lending the Elves aid; black for staying out of the battle altogether. It was for the most part, a secret tally, but there were those among the families who were more than eager to share openly how they felt.

And so it was that as the head of the Stonecut Hall reached the container, he dropped the white pebble into it from a fair distance above the mouth. It glittered as it fell, catching the light from the bright lanterns, and fell with a small thunk against the pile already hidden within.

~*~

In the end, there were only a small scattering of black pebbles among the white. The King declared then that the Dwarves of Khazad–dum would assist the Elves of Ost-in-edhil in their battle against Sauron and his armies; that he would, as Fálki had suggested, continue the Dwarves’ smaller raids against the Orcs and the men who had now joined the ranks. And that in view of the certain dread outcome of this little war – the Dwarves would see to the rescue of as many Elven refugees as they could.