The Old War and its Losses

Even in stories elves and dwarves have their disagreements; hardly a surprising thing when their history is considered.
The specifics have been long forgotten, as is the way of tales of old conflicts, and the cause may never be truly known. Theories abound of course- some say that resources are why the conflict started. The territories are certainly close enough for it to be plausible, but going back further it starts to crumble; they were separated by two kingdoms once.
Some say it was ideological. That the elves who revere the magic of the earth did not approve of the dwarves digging beneath it. This too has plausible roots, even now; yet is it strong enough a motive to start a war over?
Whatever history recorded it, it was lost in the Cataclysm.
What is known is that the losses were great enough on both sides and the bad blood bad enough that the elves refused to return to their own city when the Cataclysm ended due to its new proximity to the place the dwarves had relocated to, and the gnomes who set up their new city between them still field the tension eons later.
The one thing agreed on by both sides is that both lost something precious in that war.
The legendary hammer Earthreaver was forged for Queen Rulare Earthstrike whose name is enshrined in legend, and was lost during a siege by the elves; the elves to this day deny taking it, and the dwarves disbelieve them.
The elves lost a bow said to have been handed down by the gods themselves, Truestrike; while they have not accused the dwarves of taking it they maintain it was lost to them due to the dwarves provoking their aggression and the favour of Ruvaen, Deity of the Hunt.
The dwarves maintain that this is hardly their fault.