“The last seal is about to break.” The Master Smith yelled. “Is everyone ready?”

A small detachment of Atros’s guards, Human and Beast-kin, backed up with two lines of Dwarves and Dark Elves, led by Calo and Sheso, stood in front of the massive magically sealed door at the end of the long corridor in the Blood Hammer hold. Anton readied several Large Fire Imps, alongside Verona, Cetina and Rasha readying their respective weapons. Mezot and Axia behind them with their staffs held tight. Kal stood with them, ready to act as a healer if the worst should happen.

“Open it up,” Anton yelled.

Umikgruid moved behind the lines of armoured Dwarves. The solitary Master Smith took a deep breath, stroked his beard while whispering something and broke the last seal. A flash of orange light rippled out from the centre, draining the faint light from the strange geometric patterns adorning the mighty stone door. He ran back to the lines just as the final flicker of light faded away. With a heavy groan the door began to open. A waft of strange air, not entirely stagnant but filled with a strange earthiness and…mould rushed out along with a faint green-grey light filtering through the gap.

Anton readied the Large Fire Imps to attack but he didn’t find the giant Insects on the other side. Instead, he saw a single person. A person frozen in terror.

Instantly Anton knew something was wrong. The young boy, at least that’s what Anton presumed he was, had incredibly pale skin, similar to Verona’s but more translucent rather than just being stark white. His clothes, a light yellowy brown, shimmered and bent like the finest silk. But it was his hair that immediately caught everyone's attention. His long bright red and orange locks flowed like it was alive, flicking and bending back and forth as he strained to see through his fingers, blocking out their light.

“He’s on fire!” Verona yelled. “Someone-”

The boy screamed an ear-piercing shriek, dropping a pile of stones from his other hand and ran for his life. A ramshackle wooden barricade immediately behind him barely impeded his movements.

“The gate is open!” He screamed, over and over. “The gate is open!”

Everyone was so confused they simply let the young boy flee.

“Someone please explain,” Verona said loudly.

“The boy was scared?” Calo offered, shrugging lightly. “I…I don’t understand.”

“Fire Elves,” Anton said softly. “A Fire Elf…Born in Esperit’s image.”

“They were destroyed before the United Empire.” Umikgruid frowned. “And they’ve been living here, happily all this time?”

“I don’t know about happily.” Anton rubbed his chin. “But that boy had silk clothes…”

“And no shoes,” Kal added softly. “Pale feet covered in dirt.”

“Indeed.”

“Do we advance?” Cetina asked.

“I…No. Not yet. You saw how terrified that boy was. Since Fire Elves are supposed to have the same lifespan as humans.” Anton turned to Calo and Sheso. “Dark Elves live twice as long as us, but that alone means there are definitely others. If there weren’t he wouldn’t have acted like that.”

“Are we related?” Sheso asked. “I didn’t see their ears but our hair doesn’t do that.”

Both twins ran a hand through their wavy jet black hair. Even with the constant stream of Dark Elves from the Shadow Isles they were the only ones with anything but dead straight hair.

“Should we not advance just a little?” Umikgruid asked.

“Only to where the door once stood,” Anton ordered. “No one is to take a step further than that. Keep your shields up though. If they’re elves I’m certain they’ll be excellent marksmen."

Anton summoned a small Fire Ball, turning it as bright as possible. The wooden barricade wasn’t as ramshackle as he first thought. It was rather well built, merely rotten and degraded with age and neglect. Damp large metal spikes adorned the outside, all clearly designed to deal with some very large attackers, like some sort of giant Insect. Barren stone laid behind the barricade, a slightly smoother road leading into the darkness. Only scattered blue and orange mushrooms, growing in small depressions alongside the road, broke up the monotonous grey stone.

“Oh…” Verona tugged on his hand. “There’s light in the distance. Do you think there’s some hole to the surface?”

A dim white light illuminated the far end of the twisting cavern. What was making it was impossible to tell.

“Well, we’re near the grasslands to the north of Mount Aspire. It could be possible. But I don’t like the implication that rainwater would come crashing down into…Whatever this place is.”

“Might as well get some rest,” Umikgruid said to the Dwarves. “I get the feeling that things will get very busy soon.”

---[]---

While a rotation of the soldiers hurriedly ate their meals Anton kept his attention clearly focused towards the light, waiting for something to happen. He hoped there was more than just the young boy and they were waiting in vain. Even with Anton’s fireball it was incredibly dark and eerie just a few meters inside.

“Something’s coming,” Kal said. She hadn’t moved, keeping a tight hold of his hand as she peered into the darkness with her eye enchantments. “Lights. A lot of them. But it isn’t fire.”

“That boy’s hair gave off light,” Anton mumbled. “Not much, but some.”

“Everyone up,” Eider said loudly. As Jeff was not present she had taken de-facto control of the Human and Beast-kin soldiers. It also helped that they were thinking the same thing.

The lights were now visible to everyone, hundreds of small light green lanterns moving through the darkness. Between those Anton could see the small red lights from their flaming hair, though it was dampened by a helmet.

The lanterns began to dim as they approached the last hundred or so meters but he could still see their hair. Evidently Fire Elves were not built for subterfuge or even night battles.

“Who goes there?” A light voice yelled out, a hint of cracking near the end. Whomever he was he wasn’t used to speaking loudly.

“Anton of Atros. Who am I speaking to?”

“Why have you opened the door?” A Fire Elf, the majority of his form still obscured by the shadows, moved closer. “Blood Hammer Dwarves. Is the threat finally gone? What took you so long?”

Anton turned to Umikgruid.

“We,” Umikgruid stepped forward. “We are not Blood Hammer Dwarves.”

Instantly the Fire Elves readied their small bows. Anton doubted their arrows would just bounce off harmlessly.

“Where are they?!” The voice cracked more harshly this time.

“They’re dead.” Umikgruid sighed lightly. “Every single one of them. Some giant Insect creatures killed them. And we found the Hold Lord here, just in front of this sealed door.”

The Fire Elves murmured amongst themselves.

“Why has it taken the United Empire so long to retake these holds? We’ve been down here for generations…”

“I do not know,” Anton replied. “How long have you been down here?”

“Generations. We…I do not know.”

Strange that their language hasn’t changed…No. Without outside interference and tight internal control there might not be a reason for it to change.

“Well…I don’t know how to say this delicately but the United Empire is no more.” Anton heard murmurs throughout their lines. “It fell some time ago, and the Kingdom that followed them, in the lands above, had no knowledge about you or the Dwarves. We stumbled up the Blood Hammers hold by sheer chance.”

“So…” The Fire Elf stopped himself. “So why did you open the door?”

“Because we’re reclaiming the hold. And we wanted to know what was inside.”

“You didn’t think to find out before?”

“The Blood Hammers were very careful to not leave any trace of you behind.” Anton wasn’t entirely about the validity of his words but carried on regardless. “We’re presuming that they wanted to make sure that you were safe…And that you couldn’t leave before things were made safe out here.”

The Fire Elf leader grumbled. “Well…Wait…Are those Elves?”

“I-”

An arrow flew at the Dark Elves. Anton threw up a lightning shield to obliterate the small piece of wood, shattering it into a thousand pieces. Calo and Sheso ordered their Elves behind shields, not that they needed encouragement.

“What was that for?!”

“Nithroel’s spawn!”

“You’re elves too!” Verona shouted, summoning her blood shards.

“We cast off her touch the moment we entered these caverns. Never will we be her pawns! The Dark Elves were always her favourite assassins.”

Anton glanced down to the Dark Elf twins. Both were equally confused and horrified by the suggestion.

“We’re not assassins.” Calo pleaded. “Well…You know what I mean.”

“No Dark Elf ever heard a reply from Nithroel.” Sheso continued. “They prayed for a response but heard nothing. They pleaded to all the Old Gods but heard nothing.”

“Except for Ceccitol,” Kal added softly.

“I believe you.” Anton patted their heads. “Nithroel’s favourite toys are the Wood Elves.”

Anton turned to the worried Fire Elves. “Nithroel has cast off the Dark Elves! She no longer has any sway over them. I can assure you of that.”

The Fire Elf lines fell silent. Anton motioned for Verona to lower the blood shards, just to demonstrate they were backing down.

Strange they didn’t mention anything about the Beast-kin. It’s impossible to miss Rasha...Not a question for now.

“Our…Apologies for attacking.” The Fire Elf leader stepped forward. “Our teachings always said any Elf was not to be trusted.”

Anton didn’t want to point out the obvious.

“Is it possible that you could come out?” Anton asked. “We have much to discuss.”

The leader stopped at the division, refusing to take another step forward. His face was somewhat gaunt, from lack of nutrition, his red eyes stared into Anton from underneath a helmet made from a chitinous insect shell, different to the giant Insects that once roamed the Dwarven Hold. Their armour was a mixture of flat insect plate mixed with multiple layers of silk, so too were their boots. An odd appearance.

What sort of resources do they have access to here? Insects and silk? Those two might go hand in hand.

“We cannot.” The Leader pointed to the division. “This cavern shields us from Nithroel. If we were to take a single step out she would find us.”

That explains the supplies left outside.

“Is there any possibility we can come inside?” Anton asked. “Somewhere where we could talk without having to shout across barricades.”

“We have an old border fortress nearby. It hasn’t been used in some time but it should serve our needs.”

“So long as you don’t attack us again then I don’t have a problem with that.” Anton turned to the Dark Elves. “Will it be better for the Dark Elves to remain here?”

“We’ll be fine,” Calo said with determination. “We won’t do anything silly. None of our people have.”

The Fire Elf leader shuffled awkwardly.

“Very well. Lead on, please.”

Slowly their forces passed through the division. The moment Anton stepped through he felt something pressing down upon him, the Fire Imps began to struggle to move and even stay on their feet. Something was ripping the magic from their bodies. Anton poured more mana into them but it was only filling a leaking bottle with more water. Anton tried to create a small fireball, the small ball burst into life but required easily three to four times as much mana. Verona and Kal were suffering too but doing their best not to show it. Rasha was fine but Cetina began to stumble as she walked, hitting small stones on the ground. Anton offered his hand, one Cetina politely declined as she whispered something to Rasha. Anton looked up, the ceiling, the parts he could see were metallic, a white hexagonal geometric pattern covered the dull grey.

Gliyrhil! This…This entire cavern is lined with Ghlyirl. No wonder we’re having so much trouble. No, it’s natural Gliyrhil. That’s why the Fire Elves were moved here. This is the only place that Nithroel wouldn’t be able to find them.

“Mezot. Axia. Wait here.” Anton pointed to the ground. “Your magic isn’t going to work in here. So I want you to remain outside, where you can still cast your magic.”

“Are you sure?” Mezot held her staff tight. “I...Alright.”

Anton gave both a gentle wave and continued to follow the Fire Elves.

Up close Anton could see their bows held tight in the silk gloved Fire Elves, small compound bows made from hundreds of white strands bundled and twisted together. Their swords were metal, old and chipped, with a handle made from the same insectoid carapace hide with much smaller scales. A young insect perhaps.

The barricade was removed, the Fire Elves inadvertently broke several pieces of old wood, and led them a few hundred meters towards a small stone and wood fortress. The ground wasn’t made entirely of Gliyrhil, though the dull grey metal ran in great rivers through the rough stone either side of a smooth but disused path leading away from the gate.

The Ghlyirl doesn’t look that natural here…How much effort was expended to create this?

“What are your lanterns?” Anton asked a nearby Fire Elf.

His flaming hair glowed in intensity and flickered more violently. Anton smiled, the soldier looked a little nervous.

“Do you have any control over your hair?”

“It reacts to our emotions.” The leader said, angrily glaring at the flustered soldier. “Not even the most controlling and calm person can entirely calm the flames within our hearts.”

“Is it actually hot?” Verona asked. She reached out but was too far away to feel anything.

“No. No, it’s not.”

They carried on in silence until they reached the small fort, a mixture of stone and wood built around three Gliyrhil stalagmites reaching high into the air, almost reaching the roof.

“This fortress hasn’t been used since the gate closed.” The leader mused, ordering the small gate open. “Well, I’m sure they kept it manned for some time afterwards but not during my lifetime.”

“And the boy?” Anton idly asked. He glanced around the interior, it reminded him of a fortified trading post.

The Leader sighed. “He came this far looking for Curas. A type of mushroom. Anyway, his mother will be giving him a decent beating for coming this far. Most are forbidden from passing The Bend.”

Anton looked over a ruined section, the cavern performed a harsh ninety-degree bend, to where the white-blue light reflected off the far Gliyrhil covered wall.

“I’ll send a messenger.” The Leader summoned a lithe Fire Elf. “Tell them what’s happened and to summon a diplomat. I’m not equipped to deal with something like this.”

The Fire Elf saluted and darted away.

“You’re oddly calm that the door has been breached,” Anton said. “If it was supposed to be holding something back…”

“We’ve been trained every day for this eventuality. And we are extremely quick.”

Kal pulled on his sleeve, pointing to the leader’s hands. They shook, only by holding his elbows was it hidden. The other soldiers were equally nervous.

“We don’t even know your name.”

“Wahyu.”

“Well, Wahyu, why don’t we have a seat? I’m sure it’s going to take a little while before this diplomat arrives.”

---[]---

Anton tried his best to extract information from the Fire Elves but they were very tight-lipped. Not even Verona, who tried her best to flaunt her body, could get much from them. Every Fire Elf was very slim, their exposed skin hid bodies that were even more starved than the Green Moon Clan. Verona wasn’t fat but she would probably considered obese in their society, to think nothing of what they thought of Cetina and Rasha.

They were allowed anywhere within the small fortress so Anton took to a wall to get a better view. He couldn’t tell if it was a natural cave or how much work had been undertaken to line it with Ghlyirl. Probably a mixture of the two, several parts of the roof were almost perfectly flat, not something that happened naturally in a cave, while everywhere else looked and flowed naturally. Beyond the fortress, he could see a few pools of dark water, a yellow and white mushroom growing along the edge of the perfectly still and clear water alongside small patches of a pale green moss. Otherwise the entire area was dark, devoid of life and anything of interest.

However, the Fire Elves attitude continued to interest him. They were clearly excited to see the Dwarves and were incredibly wary of the Dark Elves, understandable, but they still had not asked a single thing about the presence of the Beast-kin. There were more than just Kal and Rasha present and yet they barely batted an eye towards them.

“They don’t seem concerned with some of us,” Verona said softly, delicately leaning against the half rotten railing. She nodded to Cetina and Rasha, waiting at the base of the small wooden staircase. “But I can tell you were already thinking that.”

She tapped her ring. “I tried to talk with you through this and nothing happened.”

Anton tried but Verona shook her head.

“Well…That’s going to make things very annoying. I imagine the Communication Pens aren’t going to work then.”

“Shame…” Verona sighed. “Just looking at these people…They need a good feed.”

“They haven’t told us what they eat,” Kal said softly. She pointed to a group far away from the other Fire Elves. “But they keep reaching for something on their back. I wonder if those mushrooms taste nice.”

Anton’s eyes noticed a change in light from around the corner, a much larger procession was arriving.

“I’m sure this diplomat will be able to explain more.” Anton smiled. “They’ll have to work around all sorts of strangeness. Hell, they might think shaking someone’s hand is an insult…But they’ve got to take it with a straight face.”

Anton watched the approaching procession, travelling down the single flat road, illuminated by both their living flaming hair and the strange green lanterns. He had not managed to get his hands on one, for diplomatic reasons, but it appeared to be luminescent moss.

“Lord Anton,” Wahyu shouted up, his voice was still light but no longer cracked. “The Diplomat is here…At least I hope it is.”

If it’s an army, doesn’t look like it, then we’re actually quite weak. Relatively speaking of course. But let's hope for the best.

---[]---

“Greetings.” The diplomat bowed deeply. “Wahyu has informed me of what has transpired.”

The diplomat wore a suit, of a sort, made entirely from the red silk. He was just as thin as the additional soldiers he had brought with him. If he was a diplomat, someone generally relatively high up in social and political strata, then things were very dire.

He looked up, his eyes flashed towards the open gate. Light streamed through, tiny weak shadows cast by the growing numbers of soldiers sent after them as reinforcements. They didn’t enter but were ready to move at a moment’s notice. That made the Fire Elves even more nervous. As they couldn’t leave they were extremely vulnerable, essentially at their mercy should Anton and Atros prove hostile.

“My name is Bilaal.” Bilaal motioned towards a wooden table and two seats situated either side. “I…I believe we have much to discuss.”

“Indeed.” Anton moved to his chair. “We weren’t expecting to find a race long thought dead in a Dwarven hold.”

Before taking his seat the Diplomat wiped the chair twice and walked around it once. Anton hesitated before taking his, in fear of causing offence, but the Diplomat would understand they didn't know. Anton simply took his as their respective leaders took up position behind them.

Bilaal’s fingers nervously tapped on his leg. After speaking with such calm conviction was he now doubting himself? Were humans in the United Empire in a higher position than the Fire Elves? Possibly, given their subterranean lives after the destruction of their kingdom at Nithroel's hand, but that shouldn’t have been carried through the generations. Anton had no desire to drag out this man’s potential distress.

“I think we should start with the basics.” Anton rested his hands on the table. “I know that the Fire Elves were destroyed by Nithroel, though obviously not entirely, and that the United Empire and the Blood Hammers gave you refuge in this cavern. What I want to know is how have the Fire Elves managed to survive without any outside help.”

“It has been a long time since that day happened but I have been taught it many times.” Bilaal took a deep, calming breath. “The United Empire brought the survivors of Nithroel’s attack to these caverns and furnished them with everything we could possibly need. We grow all of our food, clean our water and build and repair our buildings. And we have continued this way for generations.”

“Why haven’t you tried opening the door?”

“The Hold Lord, at least the stories go, one day shut the doors. He was covered in blood and wounds, clasping his arm tight as he told the Fire Elves on guard to never open the door. Under any circumstances. Before they could ask anything he shut the door as something screamed behind him. If the Hold Lord did that then we should listen to him. As the generations passed we slowly retreated from the door and ensuring it remained closed. If it hadn't opened before now why should it suddenly open?"

We kind of did that.

“No trade with the outside world…It seems that many of your people look a little thin.” Anton nodded to the soldiers. “Even you look a little hungry.”

Bilaal nodded. “Currently there is an overpopulation epidemic in the southern quarters. The King and Queen aren’t willing to send in the soldiers to deal with the issue, so resources are being stretched while we sterilise those that haven’t followed proper birth control measures.”

Didn't expect that. But if there are too many people, and I doubt they can expand their industry and what passes for agriculture too much…Remove the excess people rather than letting everyone starve and the Fire Elves die out. A cull of people…I’m glad I’m not having to make that decision.

“We might be able to help there, with food, not necessarily with the sterilisation.” Anton raised his hand. “I understand that you have your reasons. But I would like to see what lies beyond that bend.”

“That might be difficult for the Dark Elves,” Bilaal said softly.

“Perhaps. But they are citizens of Atros and will not be discriminated against.”

“It might make things more difficult in the short term.” Bilaal scratched his ear. “But so long as they remain at the centre of your…procession, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Calo and Sheso breathed a sigh of relief.

Anton looked to Kal then to Rasha. “You don’t seem to have a problem with the Beast-kin.”

“Why should we?” Bilaal appeared genuinely confused. “They are valued members of the United Empire. The old records were quite clear there was little distinction between the multiple species of Beast-kin and Humans…Or has that changed during our time below?”

“It has changed.” Anton pursed his lips. “And not for the better. Most are now slaves, the ones that weren’t slaughtered.”

The Fire Elves gasped in shock, quickly turning to one another to whisper, throwing thinly veiled looks of pity at the Beast-kin. They didn’t mind. They had suffered far, far worse.

“I am sorry to hear that the alliance has failed. But it appears to be recovering.”

Anton smiled. “Slowly. Very slowly, but it will.”

Bilaal clapped his hands once. “So…What are your intentions?”

“To be honest we weren’t expecting to find you here. But I am interested in trade. Materials and food.” Anton pointed to the soldiers. “I’m interested in how you have so much silk. Currently, we can't make much, and it's a bit much to force it out of her.”

“I presume that silk is a valuable commodity above?”

“Very much so. We could facilitate trade with the outer world and take a small percentage. That way everyone can benefit.”

“We would have to come to actual numbers before we agree to anything.” Bilaal smiled. “As you can see we are currently quite low on wood…”

“Trees can grow down here?” Kal asked. “In such low levels of light?”

“It’s quite bright in the main cavern.” Bilaal nodded towards the brightly lit corner. “But they do grow slowly…Oh. I must convey my sincerest apologies.”

“Why?” Anton readied his magic, Verona hovered a hand over the small clay pots.

“I should have offered food and drink for our guests,” Bilaal whispered something to a nearby soldier. “I must ask for forgiveness, I was not ready for such a momentous and important event.”

The soldier returned with bundles of small silk wrapped packages, about the size of a large potato, and small cylinders made from the same white wooden weave material as the bows. One of both was handed out to everyone.

“What are these?” Anton asked. He quickly made sure that the nearby girls had immunity to poisons and toxins. It took more mana than normal, not surprising, but appeared to work.

“One of the few things to eat.” Bilaal took his and hurriedly unwrapped the small package. A uniform flat roll of something orange lay inside the wrapping of silk.

“A mushroom…patty?” Anton asked.

Verona placed hers on the table and poked at the orange roll. “It’s really dense.”

Bilaal nodded. “Porcini Roll. Porcini mushrooms are grown in great fields, processed and made into this. Easy to carry when working, lasts for generations, and is quite tasty.”

Cetina offered to take the first bite. She tore a piece off, the orange mass tearing like fibre underneath her fingers. While she bit into the food Anton kept his eyes towards the Fire Elves. None were looking in anticipation, like she was about to bite into poison.

“It’s good.” Cetina smiled and nodded. “Really good.”

“I’m sure we could purchase some of these for our journeys. We might not be able to use those portals all the time.”

“And the cylinder?” Rasha asked. She noticed a small brown line near the top and pulled the top off. A strange smell filled the air, one that annoyed Anton’s nose.

“That is Macura Juice,” Bilaal spoke with some trepidation. “A by-product of creating the Porcini Rolls. It’s very nutritious but a little…”

Rasha coughed, wiping away a thin green juice from her lips. “That doesn’t taste that good.”

“You get used to the taste.” Bilaal smiled bitterly. “After a while it tastes just like water. At least that's what you tell yourself.”

Anton gently took Rasha’s container. “Perhaps some spices or seasoning will help. If nothing else than to cover the taste and smell.”

“I’m sorry that we cannot offer more. We simply do not have much to offer in terms of food.”

“Again, we did not expect a civilisation to be living peacefully beneath our feet. We could easily send down some food but I don’t know if you could handle it. If you’ve been living off this for generations.”

“What sorts of food are we talking about?” Bilaal seemed confused.

Right, they wouldn’t know about anything other than these things. Trying to explain cooked meat…Wait. They still have meat here…

“You mentioned a King and Queen.” Anton continued. “Of the entire Fire Elves?”

“Yes. King Kuwat and Queen Lestari. They are elected to their position amongst the noble families and serve for their entire lives.” Bilaal smiled. “They are very good leaders, they only have the best in mind for the people, but sometimes that niceness can cause problems.”

Not being stern enough will cause problems. People just doing what they want, in your case that would mean enforcing extreme population control.

“Though we have only just entered your realm would it be possible to meet your Kind and Queen? I would be intrigued to discuss things further, such as trade and aid.”

“Of course.” Bilaal bowed his head. “They will have undoubtedly heard of your presence by now. Given that they are not prone to violence I do not imagine that you won’t be welcome.”

“No stray arrows?” Verona asked, glancing at the Fire Elf warriors.

“No.” Bilaal frowned at Wahyu. “I’m certain the Royal Guard will be better behaved than these provincial soldiers.”

More fractured politics. If necessary we can use this. It’s not we don’t have experience.

“I would be delighted to see your home.” Anton gently rose from his chair. “We’ll send these back up to the surface and bring down some food and drink for you. Something to demonstrate that we come in peace and are earnest in our desire to coexist.”

Not that you have much of a choice, you’re stuck here and you can’t close the door since you can’t use Dwarven technology. I don’t think they can shut it now anyway.

Bilaal rose and bowed his head. “I will send a messenger back to the capital that our first contact with the outside world was peaceful and representatives and goods will be arriving shortly.”

“We’re only going back to the just past the gate.” Anton nodded to Cetina who passed on the order. “If something happens don’t be afraid to just shout.”

The Dark Elves, keeping their bows knocked, continued a vigilant watch until they were well clear of the Fire Elves, watching them silently from the parapets.

“I thought we might be killed,” Calo said.

“Is that food really that good?” Sheso asked Cetina.

Cetina nodded. “It’s pretty good. Considering its just mushrooms.”

“Kal makes a delicious mushroom stew,” Anton said, Kal smiled warmly.

“Are we bringing down more people?” Verona asked. “Your project thing still isn't ready, and we might not want to bring down too many Dark Elves."

Verona smiled at the twins. "Just in case."

“We’ll bring a small force and just leave them outside the gate. Have the Dwarves establish some light defences.”

Umikgruid nodded.

“We come in peace. But we aren’t weak or cowardly.”