The Art of War
A Lord of the Rings fanfic-like thing
By
EvilFuzzy9
In the smelting of steel and the crafting of armor, no race has ever surpassed the dwarves. And while much of the old craft is lost, such that none now remain outside Imladris with the skill to match the ancient works of Nogrod, Belegost, or Gondolin, still the Longbeards of Durin fashion some of the finest weapons in all Middle-earth.
Best of the free peoples do dwarves endure hardship, being stout and indomitable by nature. They are a proud and hardy people, who can be slain or broken but never subverted. A little less, they are perhaps, in strength of arm than man or elf, for want of stature if nothing else, but one would scarce discern this when faced upon the field by an army of their sort, clad in hard steel maille of peerless craft, with broad helms and great axes.
Greatly do dwarves take pride in these things, in the works of their hands and their unwavering hearts. Few things of this world there are that can fill a hardened dwarf warrior with dread, and when gathered in force they are yet bolder. Dwarves will not flee the field if there is a chance of victory to be had, and in the most grievous of battles many stand their ground to the last rather than turn their back to the enemy.
Not to say that they are foolhardy, though the captains and generals of dwarves in the past have of course had their share of folly. Dwarves can master fear better than most, but rarely will they fight a hopeless battle. If anything, dwarves are a shrewd people, and for all the valor of their warriors sooner to wait out a siege in their great, unconquerable halls than rush out to meet the enemy head on.
Dwarves are not heroic sorts, at least not in the same way as men or elves. They fashion great weapons and armor, are long to hold grudges and quick to wrath, and do not quail easily before terror, but great, individual feats of valor are not their nature. Dwarves fight, for the most part, in armies. While some champions might go out in small groups to harry the foe, for the most part a dwarf warrior on his own will not match up as well against a man or elf in like circumstance.
Their stature betrays them. Stout and hardy as they may be, there is a limit to what strength of will and quality of armament can do. Dwarves make light of heavy burdens, but the greater stature of men and elves makes them more apt to singular feats of individual heroism. Not to say, of corse, that this makes them less valiant or capable of warriors.
'A tall man with a long sword may better reach the giant's neck, but the dwarf more surely hews its legs.'
That is an old saying of the Longbeards, and it aptly exemplifies how the dwarves as a people approach warfare. When valor cannot win the field, patience will prevail. If your enemy guards their critical territories with ferocity, then strike where they give less care and throw them off their balance.
Elves and higher sorts of men have strong ideas of honor, but when stirred to wrath dwarves can fight as cruelly as any orc. While their songs and tales speak highly of brave dwarves and noble lords, when it comes to actual fighting they are quite willing to use whatever tactics they must.
Like men, the dwarves show a striking contrast between honor and pragmatism. They have many noble champions and hardy, well-armed soldiers, but dwarves will not spend their strength needlessly. They will treat their captives civilly enough, as a rule, yet show no mercy to their foes in battle.
Dwarves as a people will, when pressed, naturally put their own above any lofty ideals. If it is a matter of protecting their people or avenging an ill, the Naugrim will not hesitate to do whatever they must to win.
More than courage or strength of arms, it is pragmatism that makes dwarves truly formidable. Honor they value highly, but victory is worth a dearer price still.
Not that I suggest you ever say as much to a dwarf's face, though!
For we are a very proud people in the end, no matter what evils we must do to keep it so; and we are quick to take offense at any aspersion on our honor, regardless of what the truth may be.
But then such is true for all the peoples of Middle-earth, from what I, Gimli, have seen.
A/N: I am a really big fan of dwarves. As such, of course I try to reconcile how The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, and The Lord of the Rings each treat and address them. It's very interesting, in that Tolkien actually gave dwarves a lot more depth than the beer-swilling, axe-swinging, Scottish-speaking stereotypes you'll typically find among his imitators (not that there's anything wrong with those), and his dwarves are honestly a very complex and even enigmatic people.
Chapter added: 5-22-14
TTFN and R&R!
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