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"Alna, you are so beautiful and strong, let me address you appropriately." Ginneas was uncomfortable clutching the pen with his short dwarf fingers. Working with a hammer was much more familiar to him, but he still continued to write. "You have many names: The Singer of the icy wind, the Defender of the mountains, the Mistress of permafrost, the Snow Queen… However, most often you are called a Frozen Mother. I was just a kid when my elders told me about you: "A proud and mighty warrior goddess lives in the mountains. Her voice is the battle cry of winter, her body is shrouded in snow whirlwinds. She brings winter to Esperia." Ginneas listened to the howling of the wind that raged outside his tent, and imagined that this was Alna's "battle cry". "I still remember the day when the mountains split apart because of the Demonic Breakthrough. The underground inhabitants swooped down on my house like a swarm of disgusting locusts. We were caught off guard. At that time I was a soldier of the Smelting Regiment, which was led by the great dwarf King Zangerhain himself. He managed to detain the underground inhabitants so that our brothers could retreat. A soldier's instinct told me that day that a glorious death was waiting for me, that soon I would be drinking with my brothers in the Halls of the Dead. The battle was fierce. For two days and two nights we fought the enemy, and my brothers died one by one. Even the king has fallen." Ginneas put down his pen. His thoughts went back to that terrible battle that happened many years ago. He remembered the snow-covered hills, stained with the blood of dwarves, and the endless host of demons. "In the end, I was left alone on the battlefield. I was surrounded, and when the underground inhabitants moved to attack, I decided that the hour of my glory had struck. Suddenly there was a terrible roar, and you appeared. You pierced the demons that surrounded me with your long spear. I remember your majestic face and your strength, which is greater than that of a snow buffalo… I was stunned. You threw me a hammer and said sternly: "If you don't want to die, take a weapon and fight!" Together we defeated the enemy. You were covered in cuts and bruises, blood was oozing from the wounds. You must have fought the underground dwellers for a long time before you came across me." Then Ginneas realized that the goddess was injured and probably exhausted. However, he was determined to die in battle and rushed into battle again. Ginneas and Alna were cornered, and then Alna caused a blizzard to drag Ginneas into the crevasse and hide from his pursuers. Ginneas dipped the tip of his pen into the ink and continued to write. "Then I was ignorant and despised you. I mocked your divine essence because you didn't dare to perish like us mortals. I mistakenly thought that you, being a proud deity, would be offended and bring down your anger on me. You sat in silence and didn't say a word, just wiped your weapon. Very soon the demons sent out a squad that was supposed to track us down. Because of our wounds, none of us could fight the underground inhabitants, and we barely managed to escape. As befits a proud dwarf, I considered myself a coward because I survived. I've thrown myself at demonic pursuers over and over again, and you've saved my life over and over again. In the end, you couldn't stand it, knocked me down and shouted: "Stop thinking that you're the only one who lost everything!" Later I found out that you also lost a lot. Many of your divine brothers and sisters were killed by demons. They also flooded the mountains that you swore to protect, and you were even demoted to a demigod. In that short time, you inspired me with one thought: a soldier must keep himself in hand in any situation. A good soldier does not seek to die senselessly for the sake of his honor, but understands when it is really necessary to sacrifice himself. This thought supported me during the years of exile in foreign lands. I couldn't have stood a day without help." Ginneas smoothed his braided beard. Dwarves rarely fall into melancholy or delve into their feelings, but these words came from the very depths of his heart. After several months of fighting with the underground inhabitants, the wounds of Guinness and Alna finally healed. They began to hunt down and kill demons together. They didn't talk much, but in battle they understood each other without words. "I am proud that I had to fight shoulder to shoulder with you. You always seemed cold and detached, but your soul burned hotter than a blacksmith's furnace. You have a proud face, but it's not the pride of a deity. Its source is your inner strength, the great fortress of your heart. When we fought together, you never called yourself a goddess, you were always a warrior. " "Tu-duu..." the pipe of the Melting Shelf sang outside, and Guinneas thought again. All the soldiers of the regiment, except himself, died a few years ago to end the war. Ginneas didn't want his brothers' deaths to be in vain. Under the protection of the Smelting Regiment, the dwarves moved north, where they were received by the light bearers and declared a Kingdom in exile. They had to change their way of life. Ginneas parted with Alna and went to the bearers of light in search of relatives and comrades in arms. Ginneas remembered well how they had said goodbye to Alna. He said: "Goodbye, Frozen Mother. Be as unshakable as the mountains." Alna then replied: "Take care of yourself, soldier. You can call me Alna." At the very end, Ginneas wanted to add something else. He thought a little and brought out: "Valiant Alna, I do not know where you are now, although for sure you are in the thick of the battle. The Melting regiment is heading south. We decided that it's time to recapture your home from the underground inhabitants and regain the snow-white fields that you once swore to protect. My gut tells me again that my time is running out and that this campaign will be my last, but I'm not going to die in vain. No, you need to sacrifice yourself wisely, like my comrades. I only hope that when my time comes, I can once again hear your battle cry on the frosty wind. May your voice be heard in the mountains forever and ever. Ginneas." Ginneas folded the letter several times and put it in a special box. At the same moment, the floors of his tent flew open and a soldier entered. He saluted Ginneas and reported: "Commander, the Melting Stream is ready!" Ginneas picked up the hammer leaning against the table and slung it over his shoulder. He turned to the soldier: "Listen to my order: all forces move south!"