"Enough noise!" Rus stepped out of his room with a dark expression. The gray dwarves fell silent at once, though indignation still burned on their faces.
Erik, standing off to the side, looked exasperated. "My lord."
"What's going on?" Rus swept his gaze across the gathered dwarves. Seeing they were about to erupt again, he raised a hand. "Pick a representative to speak."
Borwell stepped forward. "Baron, I must protest your steward's behavior! He denied us gray dwarves access to assess the jewels—this is outright discrimination!"
"That's right!" As always, Sorhei echoed Borwell. "And not just that—they stopped us from screening the ore! They clearly have no understanding of our natural talents!"
Naturally, Rus wouldn't take their words at face value. He turned to Erik.
The steward exhaled heavily, visibly frustrated. "Baron, they make it sound noble—talking about assessing gems and minerals. In truth, they've been tampering and skimming!"
