Ages have passed since Earth-Wrought was lost And for our people great was the cost Quests were begun where Unforged was sought At rumors of finding fierce wars were fought We are now broken, our great ones have died Lightcatcher is gone, in grief set aside Yet when a dwarf sees the diamond black His heart remembers Negankerdak
Mordaar Morthain in the Noddyrock mined Eagerly delving for treasures to find This stout-hearted dwarf was humble and true Honest souls like his in our day are few
He followed what seemed a black diamond trail But it brought him near the accursed Black Vale Corrupt, full of snares, deception its mark A deep crevice caught him he fell in the dark
Mordaar came to a cave of light, soft and dim To Irna's own heart his fall had brought him With fountains and pools, with airy light-streams And wells for wisdom, and inspired dreams
His footsteps soft, he trod the smooth floor And found in the wall a small, gleaming door With a sign of a Moon, of deep earthen brown And a sign of a sword the full Moon did crown
Then spoke a deep voice within his mind Firm as the rock, yet noble and kind
Know, little dwarf, it was from Vordan fear That I hid away what you will find here It was dwarven conceit, beyond measure That prompted me to remove their treasure Too quickly I came in far off season But could not to them reveal the reason Yet do you suppose they could have perceived That I came for their good would they have believed?
Mordaar, amazed, with a trembling hand Pressing his palm on the granite brand Unsealed the door where a Sword lay hid Warily, whispering as he did
It was no demon, but a Guardian true I see it now, from his very own hue Negankerdak, here long laid to rest By mighty Rilfar, a Guardian blest
Then a soft voice he heard within Light and dark, heavy and thin Negankerdak, by no hand made A blue light shining within its blade
To the dwarves I was commended But not for dwarf my use intended Another there is I must employ The world to save, or to destroy Think not this blade as yours to own Think what hand made you, flesh and bone Are not our days by another cast In this world so deep and vast? To spend ourselves for another's sake My fate and yours, each we take
Silent, in awe, the Sword in his hand Aware it was not his to command With wondering mind and a heart that yearned Mordaar's steps toward home he turned