"Gifts of magic-imbued weapons from elves and dwarves! You are most gracious!" Niles sneered and executed a sarcastic bow. "Now, if you will excuse me, I must see to my men."

Baldric shook his head when the captain from Astargoth had left. "They could have accomplished their fool's errand altogether without our knowledge, had they made the trek directly across the north country from their own lands. Whichever their approach, from Morlock's standpoint, I doubt it would be any less unlooked-for."

"Perhaps," said Akaru the half-troll, his brown-on-brown eyes, dark testimony to his sire's origins, slitted thoughtfully. "Yet regardless, the northerners may be of greater service than we realize."

"How so?" asked Baldric with bitter sarcasm. "By dying, and thereby ridding the Four Kingdoms of their existence? I'm not sure which is the greater evil: their pointless destruction, or later coming up against enemy soldiers bearing the arms of their fallen!"

"Their plan," Akaru told him, "according to Captain Niles, is to follow the White River east along its south bank to a point south and east of Morlock's castle, then approach it from the rear, once Morlock's armies have left."

"They cannot hope to defeat Morlock, any more than can we ourselves," said Belloc, shifting his wizard's staff from the crook of one arm to the other and leaning forward fractionally. "He will easily destroy them."




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