Dagg secures the restored sword and sealed papers beneath his coat. Mara gathers the family documents while the dwarf smith watches from the anvil, the forge settling behind them.
The forge door opens. A dwarf woman enters carrying a heavy shield and mace, her equipment marked by careful use rather than ceremony. She pauses beside the threshold.
Veyra Stoneheart
Veyra Stoneheart. I am niece to the dwarven king, and I have come because my clan has heard troubling claims about forged legitimacy surrounding Vellstead’s succession.
Mara draws the sealed review closer, while the dwarf smith sets down his hammer. The dwarf woman’s gaze moves from the papers to the restored sword, weighing the matter before offering more.
Veyra Stoneheart
If someone forged a claim, altered a lineage, or buried a debt to seize that farm, my clan may recognize the pattern. But our involvement would draw noble and clan politics into Mara’s hearing.
Thren Anvile
Then speak only to what your clan can prove. A royal review needs witnesses and records, not a powerful name standing where evidence should be.
The offer hangs between the anvil and the doorway. Mara keeps one hand over her mother’s papers, waiting for Dagg to decide whether Veyra’s knowledge is protection or another chain around Vellstead.