Keep on your toes, said Thronir to the other dwarves. They were all getting ready for war. Why are you not preparing yourself for battle? asked Mithrir's wife. I'am simply not made for stuff life this, he replied. None of them are, she said. Then why do they go into battle, do they like suffering? asked Mithrir. He laughed and Thronir caught him by the neck. I have seen you doing nothing all this while, prepare yourself, he commanded. He turned and laughed again. Here, here! he said ruffling through his pockets and offering him some coins as a bribe. Thronir took it in his hands and looked at it. He threw it agains the wall and broke it into pieces. What have you done? cried Mithrir as he went and tried to mend the coins together. He could not help but feel sad at the state of the man. He turned away and walked as Mithrir was still trying to fix the coins together as he cursed Thronir. As he turned back, he saw his daughter and wife looking at him in disappointment and disbelief. They never thought that he would stoop to such a level. He saw the embarrassment in their eyes. But, but! he said. I did it all for you, he said. So that you could have a better life. His wife turned away and his daughter hugged her. He looked around and he saw who we was really. All this while, he had been fooling himself, he realised. He threw the coins on the ground and marched to the armoury.
As Mithrir entered the armoury.He saw young adolescent dwarfs trembling with fear as they picked up their swords. Don't worry, the hylin are not going to harm us, he said. Why will they not?asked a young dwarf. Because they are not as cruel as you think they are, said Mithrir. A dwarf who had remembered Mithrir from the town hall put his spear against the neck of the once wealthy dwarf and pushed him against the wall. Says the man who was their errand boy, he said and laughed. Mithrir pushed him aside and tripped himself to the ground. They all laughed at him. He was trembling with shame and fear. But a hand reached out to him. He picked himself up with the help of the hand. He gave him a spear and walked away limping. Mithrir took the spear and followed the warrior. A dwarf caught up to him and gave him an helmet. He put it on his head. He wobbled through the passage as he saw the dwarves through the eyes of the dwarf for the first time. The pain, the helplessness and the optimism. Every dwarf carried with him a sense of optimism that could not be replicated in any part of the universe. No matter what the situation was, they never lost their sense of optimism. Against peril, against hardship, their days carried on with with optimism. Even now, they had no chance to defeat the dark lords army, yet they marched on with confidence. Mithrir held his spear with a firmer grip. He was feeling proud to be a dwarf for the first time in his life. He emptied his pocket and threw the coins away. Akira saw him and came and gave him her sword. He looked at her in awe. Why? she asked him. Because you need it more, she said.