>>5270398A layer of chalk dust covered the floor of this shabby office standing in the midst of sizeable quarry.
Rather than a door, a brown curtain covered in the same chalk dust held the blazing sun at bay.
The curtain was now pulled to the side, its ring bearings scratching against the curtain rod.
A dusty man stepped in, attempting to clean his hands by patting them against his trousers – accidentally releasing small clouds of white dust into the office.
“You wanted to see me?” said the man.
Much like the rest of him, his face was layered with a coat of chalk dust outside of the occasional line where a drop of sweat had taken some with it on its descent.
“Wir' behind schedule,” growled a dwarf in chalk-stained overalls standing bend over a table with various documents.
He had to stand on a small stool to properly loom over the table, but the stool’s presence was best left unmentioned if you enjoyed the luxury of having teeth.
The dusty man sighed, “Again?”
“Aye,” confirmed the dwarf, then exhaled heavily through the nose and looked up, “Ony word o' th' lassie?”
The dusty man shook his head, “Not a peep,” said the man, “Maybe she’s just late? It’s a long haul to Duskmire after all.”
The dwarf’s bushy eyebrows furrowed, “She’s ne'er late. Not in oal the years I’ve ‘nown 'er.”
“Maybe she took the profits of the shipment and ran off with it?” said the dusty man with a shrug.
There was a moment of silence. “Nah,” they said simultaneously.The Zarkha they had known for these past years would never do that or even consider it.
The dwarf hissed a breath through clenched teeth, hinting at the anger boiling within, “Each day that giant woman ain’t 'ere i’m losing gowd by th' bucket,” he said, glancing at the content of some papers, “She hauled mair stane than five men pat th'gither.””'N' she ne’er moped or moaned!” he added quickly, “Nae wance!”
The dusty man nodded sagely, “Zarkha’s absence is also bad for morale,” said the man.
“Woh? How come?” asked the dwarf.
The dusty man’s cheeks flushed underneath the coat of white chalk covering his face.
There was some vague muttering and gesturing. Words like glistening, sweat, and muscles were used.
These are the kind of workers foreman Emberforge was now stuck with. ”Juist send word tae Djuskmire, wull ye?” he said in tones heavy with disappointment, “A seven foot lass can’t juist disappear lik' that.”
