"I see... and what is it that we can do for you?"
"The Orcs have attacked the western kingdom, Glendon. They tried to kill the King's two daughters."
Alyssa watched anger replace the amusement on the faces of all four Dwarves that were at their fire. The good mood from earlier was fading as they got down to business. Meric studied them for a moment and then resumed speaking.
"We do not have any real evidence, but we believe they are working with the ruler of Rennick. The idea has been running around my head for a while, but there was still not enough proof. The thirty soldiers you defeated took care of that. I think that the Orcs want Glendon to prepare for them to attack, and expect a call for help to Rennick. They invite their neighbors in, and when the enemy is engaged the allies will strike. Glendon will be caught between the Orcs and a traitorous ally.
"Of course, we suspect this, so the king will never invite his neighbor into a position where they can achieve that end. However, that could just make Xavier mad enough to attack outright. He is a bit insane."
Dhuren snorted. There was a moment when he made eye contact with Fastil, but it was fleeting and Alyssa had no idea what the significance was. The dwarf turned back to Meric and spoke.
"What is it you wish to ask of us?"
"We talked before about the artifact that the Orcs were searching for. We think that they now believe that it is in Glendon lands, and are planning to invade in order to search for it. Why now, and why they think it will be any easier than their last attempt to invade human lands, we do not know. It only matters that they are coming, and we will do whatever we can to oppose them.
"Whatever the reason, they think they know where the relic is or at least the general area. It was only one clan with minimal support from the others the last time, and that war lasted several years. If they can unite even a few of the clans, we will not be able to stop them. We believe our best bet is to find the Scepter before they do. Whether it is to use it to defend ourselves, or just to keep it out of their hands. Will you tell us where it is?"
For several moments the only sound heard was crickets, the snapping of the fire, and an owl off in the distance. Alyssa watched the light from the blaze in front of them play across Dhuren's face; flickering shadows were chased away by the orange glow. Another, much longer look at Fastil and then he turned back to Meric.
"I am not the one to make that decision, but I will take you to the one that can," said Dhuren.
"And who would that be?"
"Get your people settled for the night. We leave at dawn."
"Are you going to tell me where we are going?"
"Doanimar, the heart of the Dwarven realm. We go to see the King."
To Be Continued...
James R. Barnes
I have loved to read since I was a teenager, and wanted to write for just as long. I do not have any formal education in the realm of literature, I just enjoy it. I finally decided to go for it one day, and the result was a ninety thousand plus word story that I thoroughly enjoyed writing, and hope others will someday thoroughly enjoy reading. I feel like there are many more stories to tell, and look forward to sharing them.
http://jamesrbarnes.com
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A Soldier's Honor: The Scepter of Maris: Book One Page 27