Tungdil dipped his hands into a pail of water and used the brief hiatus to wash away the grime. Eiden, a groom in the service of Lot-Ionan 'What do you think you're doing, Tungdil?' the waiting man demanded impatiently. Suddenly the jangling ceased and a pair of tongs swooped down and tossed the metal back into the furnace. With each blow the metal took shape, curving into a crescentĪs the iron submitted to the blacksmith's strength and skill. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental andĪ volley of raps rang out as the hammer danced on the glowing ore. The characters and events in this book are fictitious. The Orbit name and logo are trademarks of Little, Brown Book Group Limited. Orbit is an imprint of Hachette Book Group. Originally published in Germany as Die Zwerge by Heyne Verlag, 2003 Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced,ĭistributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written Read ExcerptĬopyright © 2005 by Piper Verlag GmbH, MunichĮnglish translation copyright © 2009 by Sally-Ann SpencerĮxcerpt from The War of the Dwarves copyright © 2010 by Piper Verlag GmbH, MunichĪll rights reserved.

Although he has many unanswered questions, Tungdil is certain of one thing: no matter where he was raised, he is a true dwarf.Īnd no one has ever questioned the courage of the Dwarves. Not only his own safety, but the life of every man, woman and child in Girdlegard depends upon his ability to embrace his heritage.

Sent out into the world to deliver a message and reacquaint himself with his people, the young foundling finds himself thrust into a battle for which he has not been trained. Although he does not want for friends, Tungdil is very much aware that he is alone - indeed, he has not so much as set eyes on another dwarf. Until now.Ībandoned as a child, Tungdil the blacksmith labors contentedly in the land of Ionandar, the only dwarf in a kingdom of men. Many and varied foes have hurled themselves against the portal and died attempting to breach it. For countless millennia, the dwarves of the have defended the stone gateway into Girdlegard.

Die Zwerge by Markus Heitz