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In the southeastern Middle Earth, the Red Mountain of the east met the Yellow Mountains of the south. At the easternmost part of the Yellow Mountains, the Blacklocks and Stonefoots had lived in centuries. The dwarves were prosperous by trading with the human living there. Occasionally they even traded with the few orcs living there.

There they had built two great cities under the Mountains one for each tribe. They were unaffected by the War of the Wrath, and the cities grew during the second age. They had little relationship with the other tribes, but occasionally travelling dwarves brought news from far away. This was how the learned about the wealth of the longbeards which seemed to surpass theirs many times.

They dug even further to find similar wealth, but instead they awoke a demon, who had been a sleep there for more than two millenniums.

The balrogs destroyed the dwarven cities, and the kingdoms fell apart.

The mountains were silent, but Sauron knew the Naugrim had survived there. He brought with him plenty of food, ham and other meat. He knew well the even though the lives of the dwarves was between the rocks of the mountains and they could live for months without food, they did need to eat food from animals as they did not tough plants.

A dozen heavily armed dwarves surrounded him.

"Give us your food, stranger. This will be payment for travelling through our country;" one of them said.

Sauron willingly threw a large ham to him.

"I am not a stranger of the Khazad;" he said, "I am a friend, and friends share. I have more and I will share this as well. I ask only that you will listen."

"Then tell us who you are;" one of the dwarves said.

"My name is Mahalin, I was a servant of your maker, but now when he has left Middle Earth, I have no master. I know that the Blacklocks has suffered great misfortune and I am here to help you regain your wealth."

"Can you rebuilt our cities?" one of the dwarves asked deeply surprised

"No!" Sauron said; "but I can point you to wealth that will make you able to do it yourself."

"-and where might this wealth be?" the same dwarf continued.

"With the longbeards;" Sauron said; "too long they have considered themselves superior to their cousins. They called the Ironfists and Stiffbeards for petty-dwarves when they came to the west, because they are the tallest among dwarves and they created mistrust between them and the Sindar, do they themselves became the favorites among the elves."

The dwarves looked angry. They disliked if strangers criticized their own kind.

A dwarf said; "if you are a servant of Mahal, you would know that he created the Longbeards as he created Blacklocks. The Longbeards are our friends and equals."

"Yes, but the Noldor changed that by favoring the Longbeards. They now possess the greatest gifts that the Khazad have ever seen, and they consider themselves superior to the six other tribes. They have seven of these gifts. One for each tribe. With your misfortune, you should have one of these seven. If I support you and you ask for your fair share, I believe the Longbeards will gladly give it to you;" Sauron said.

"You will have to tell more;" the dwarves continued;" if we approve we will talk with our cousins the Stonefoots and if they approve you can tell the same story to them."

"Why waste time;" Sauron said; "I can speak to them."

"Not as far as we can;" the dwarf commended. A raven landed on his shoulder and the dwarf started to speak to it in Khuzdul. Another dwarf approached them, and the Raven jumped onto his shoulder without fear.

Sauron was impressed. "Teach me that, and I will return the favor but telling what I know of working with ores underground;" he said.

"Maybe;" the dwarf answered, "but we will wait for the answer of our cousins."

"I understand;" Sauron said with a smile;" but in the meanwhile I will hunt for more food to give to you and them."

In Numenor, Vanimelde gave birth to her first child, a son. Herucalmo heard the news and rushed to the King House. His family in law received him in the Courtyard: the King and Queen and their two youngest daughters.

The King said; "May I congratulate you, Herucalmo."

Herucalmo quickly answered; "I thank you, sire! Please forgive me, but you will understand why I need to be with my wife."

He quickly passed them all and headed into the house. The King was surprised that Herucalmo had no more word to exchange with him.

Herucalmo visited his wife. She was in bed with their child. She was happy to see him.

"A son;" Herucalmo proudly stated; "he will be our legacy; to shine on the people of Numenor. When we are no longer here. He shall be known as Alcarin, the Glorious. What else, can a child created by such magnificent people as you and I, be called."

In the years to follow also the Ironfists and the Stiffbeards to the north was hit by great misfortune. This time is was not a screaming daemon, but a silent killer of the night who entered their caves, and killed them one by one.