Balladine

"Balladine," Jinna echoed, turning to look westward, down the long rank of terraces.

The Covenant of the Forge Parkinson, Dan 1993

"Balladine," Jinna echoed, turning to look westward, down the long rank of terraces.

The Covenant of the Forge Parkinson, Dan 1993

No Call to Balladine was this, no glad song of the high peaks.

The Covenant of the Forge Parkinson, Dan 1993

It would be the last Balladine, he told himself, and the end of the Calnar of Thorin.

The Covenant of the Forge Parkinson, Dan 1993

In times past, a few of them had visited Thorin for Balladine, but not in recent years.

The Covenant of the Forge Parkinson, Dan 1993

The vibrar, designed and built by Handil, was like no other drum when it struck the first thunders of the Call to Balladine.

The Covenant of the Forge Parkinson, Dan 1993

Balladine seemed to be opening as usual-but he knew that something was wrong.

The Covenant of the Forge Parkinson, Dan 1993

Knowing nothing of the inner workings of Thorin, or of the firewell and the solstice, visitors to Balladine took it as quaint dwarven tradition that the gates always opened when the sun was overhead.

The Covenant of the Forge Parkinson, Dan 1993

The carbon shields were rolled back to receive the fireflash that was the original-and secret-reason the dwarves celebrated Balladine.

The Covenant of the Forge Parkinson, Dan 1993

He looked forward to trading with them, and he didn't mind mingling with them-on their lands-during the Balladine.

The Covenant of the Forge Parkinson, Dan 1993