I was bristling with nervous energy as we faced off against the distant dwarves. Yet, they didn’t make a move toward us.

“What are they playing at?” I snapped. “Just fucking standing there, watching us like creeps.”

“They’re either waiting until we go to them, as they have the high ground, or just barring our way,” Olata offered.

“We’d beat them. Should just attack!” Grastad offered eagerly.

“Considering our previous predicament in Far Reach,” Sania said. “I vote to walk along the base for a little way. If they follow and continue to bar our way, then we attack.”

Heads nodded in agreement. No one here held any love for the dwarves, but the truth of the matter was clear. Regardless of the result of a battle here, we couldn’t afford to declare them an enemy outright or we’d be fucked in the near future.

“Sania’s right. Let’s move along the foothills for a mile and try again. See how they respond.”

With that, I set off walking at the head of our line, keeping my cleaver out, ready. We moved at a steady pace, so as not to give the impression that we were running from them, because we weren’t. I refused to look back, though I could feel their beady eyes boring into my back and the others let me know they were following.

“Gold Armor’s shouting. I’m certain it’s Egard,” Sania said.

“I can’t hear a bloody thing,” I replied. “Any idea what the prick is saying?”

She shook her head. “Not yet.”

“Slow it down everyone, but be ready to fight or run on my word,” I ordered, speaking just loud enough to be heard by everyone behind me. Sparing a glance up the mountain at the rapidly approaching Dwarf army, I noticed the golden armored dwarf, most likely Egard, had stretched out a lead over those following. Once he realized we’d all but stopped, he slowed his own mad dash to allow the rest of his force to catch up.

As we kept walking, I heard him clearly shout this time. “What’s going on, Clive?”

I turned to face him, as he descended a slope around twenty feet above us. He came to a stop with an expression like thunder, visibly annoyed at having to chase us. “Are you determined to make enemies of us?”

“Fucking hell? It speaks!” I shouted around to everyone.

That raised a few laughs, as I looked back to the Guardian of Agorak. “It was difficult to tell at the end of our time together, Egard. You know, seeing as you barely said a word to any of us.”

“It was a challenging time, but you should never have left as you did. Darkness is not happy,” he said, defiantly planting his hands on his hips.

“Darkness isn’t the boss of me, and he fucking knows that. That was part of our deal. If he changes the parameters without my agreement, then it means nothing. But I see how you’ve misunderstood the situation. There’s no hostility towards Darkness. Even if I cooked you like a honey roast ham, it’d still have nothing to do with Darkness. It’d be because I absolutely can’t stand the sight of you, Egard.”

Grumbling sprang from his soldiers at my words. Egard’s face turned an interesting shade of red in his attempt to suppress his anger.

“You are far from my favorite person, Clive. And you're still a long way off from killing me,” he said confidently.

“Natom Hilgresh was convinced of that. Look where it got him,” I replied, with a smile I didn’t feel.

“You had the support of some very strong allies,” he retorted.

“I still have. But that wasn’t the case when Stada attacked, and even then, I succeeded in putting him firmly on his arse. Did you hear rumors of that in your tunnels?”

He clearly hadn’t and changed the subject quickly. “Darkness has been in contact, and he would like it very much if we escorted you back to safety within the Nideland.

“The fighting on the surface has grown far worse and has promised you safe passage. So put your personal dislikes aside as I’m having to do, and follow us. We’ll have you back to Far Reach in no time.”

I was surprised at the sudden change in attitude, and couldn’t hold back my laugh. “You got your arse kicked off him, didn’t you, Egard?”

He stiffened at that, which made me laugh even more. “What about Agorak? Are you attempting to drag us there at every available opportunity, with some hope that you can torture my companions?”

“No Agorak. Darkness has ordered your return to Far Reach as quickly as possible, and that is what I will do.”

“Get fucked, Egard. We’ll make our own way back. You can thank Darkness for the offer, though.”

“I’m afraid we have no choice. It was a direct command,” Egard replied. A hint of worry on his face.

I waved him off. “There’s always a choice. We only attempted to walk ahead to avoid conflict. We'll be crossing the mountains now and continuing on our own way. Your idea of choice is either to force us to follow you or crawling back in your holes.”

“Diplomatic as always,” Sania chuckled quietly by my side.

Egard raised his hands in frustration. “We’re offering you safe passage through the Nideland instead of the alternative horror of navigating your way through a damn war zone. Don’t be an idiot.”

“Lord Clive would have to be an idiot to follow you, after how you treated us,” Grigor shouted.

“Nobody here trusts you, Egard, and that’s on you. So toddle off and suffer whatever consequences Darkness has in store for you, knowing that you brought this on yourself.”

“Clive,” he replied slowly, as if explaining something to a child. “Destruction and Justice have almost gained full control of the entire surface of Kalabri. If you choose to continue on this course, you’re sentencing your people, here, to certain death.”

“Yeah, you're boring me now, Egard. What were the last words you said to me before we went our separate ways? Ah, yeah. Stop wasting all of our damn time with your meaningless words.”

His mouth worked wordlessly, trying to form a response that I didn’t want to hear. Turning back on him, I waved my friends after me as I set off up the mountain side. “Let’s get moving. We have a long way to go, but brace yourselves for an attack from the dwarves. We’ve all experienced how untrustworthy they are,” I said, as I reached close to where Egard stood alongside his men. They were all on edge, hands on weapons, bitterness etched onto their faces. I wanted to smile as I passed them, but I held off.

They let us pass without trouble, their hands tied from whatever orders they’d received. Though I had no doubt they would happily kill us all if they could.

Once we were some distance away from the dwarves, we sped up substantially. The mountains may have consisted of rough terrain, but it was still easier for our people to traverse than the snow.

Flying with Olata and Sania, negated our need for scouts and also made finding a suitable camp much more straightforward. Not that I was responsible for either of those tasks.

That night we landed in a wide valley with a small stream running through it and a carpet of scrub on the side protected from the frigid wind that continuously hammered at us.

I longed to reach the leeward side of the mountains. Not that the wind really affected me physically, but it was bloody miserable all the same, and I wasn’t the only one with my face up my arse.

Not long after we had our fires set up Ewan returned. Dropping the kills in the center of the camp he came and sat with us again.

“So, the dwarves came in peace?” he mused. “I suspected they might. Particularly after the successful defeat of Natom. I imagine Darkness will be greatly aggrieved that they lost you in the first place. And all from petty grievances.”

“Yeah, that’s pretty much what I got from the exchange,” I agreed. “At least it’s given me hope that our friends in Far Reach are okay.”

“You do have the added bonus of being under Devotion's protection.”

“Well, kinda. Devotion doesn’t think much of me, and to be honest they’re lightweights compared to Darkness,” I said dismissively.

“True,” Ewan said. “Nonetheless, I can guarantee that Darkness would not wish to add her as an enemy while the surface of Kalabri is overrun. I’m fairly confident you’ll be safe until Justice and Destruction are defeated. Perhaps even until both of their domains are taken.”

“How do you know all this shit?” I asked.

Ewan laughed. “Old age and observations. I do little other than watch these days. It might surprise you to learn that I saw how you entered this land, Clive. You and your three friends. I was watching Destruction’s portal that day you came through. I sensed that you might be of importance, but after following your journey into Malaita, I discounted you all quickly. However, something continued to tug at my mind and so I returned. Just in time to witness your meeting with Sania’s pack and your subsequent bonding of her. At that point, I was in no doubt that something special was happening. There hasn’t been a bonding in Falritas by any other than the gods in over a thousand years.”

My jaw hung open as he recounted the times he’d watched me.

“I lost you once you entered Knuntang, but found you once more as you reentered the Crasters and moved north. Your fight with Grigor and remarkable resurgence was something to behold.”

“It was you, all that fucking time!” I shouted, standing up, pointing animatedly at him. “I knew I wasn’t going mad. You were there when we rescued the Dokalfar too, weren’t you?”

Ewan nodded, smiling. “I was.”

“Why?” I asked.

“As I have just said, I was drawn to you,” he shrugged, as if it was nothing. “I do not fully understand the why, but I feel my interests are best served by supporting you.”

I thought about it for a while, then nodded. “You certainly haven’t given me any reason not to trust you.”

“We’re worthwhile allies for one another. Once we have Olata and my own people out from the Palathi Peaks, that is.”

I shook my head, hardly able to believe that I’d found my mysterious watcher, after so long.

“So, you’re now ready to discuss your plans?” Danivra asked. “We are almost back to Kalabri.”

“I am,” Ewan said solemnly. “I didn’t wish to burden you until you were safely off the ice, but the truth is that the Palathi Peaks are fully under Siege. Ten thousand of Justice’s troops line the foothills. While we are safe at present, I cannot risk freeing our people while they remain there.”

“You know that’s not a plan, right?” I replied with more than a little concern.

“I do and I am reluctant to offer plans as it will be your lives at risk, as much as our own.”

“You said ten thousand,” Olata said. “My children are poor fighters, but they’re not without some abilities to assist in a battle. How large is your pack, Ewan?”

“I have two thousand, but only half that number can fight. Among that number, I have two more Amaroks and three hundred and twenty four Woltar.”

“Not enough, then,” Olata concluded.

“So,” I said, stroking my unkempt beard that had taken on a life of its own lately, again. “We need to find a minimum of eight thousand people between here and the Palathi Peaks. Preferably more.”

Ewan’s smile almost split his face in two as he nodded in agreement. “That would certainly help.”

“Let me guess, that was the plan you didn’t want to offer.”

“Very perceptive, Lord Clive,” he said using the honorific for the first time, and it didn’t escape my notice. I said nothing, though.

“If that’s the plan, then any chance you could at least do a little scouting for us, Ewan? Maybe, find Neutrals still alive that we could pick up to come and clear a path?”

“It just so happens that I know of a large group of goblins that you could approach,” he replied, the wide smile never leaving his face.

“Are you talking about Rattayak? That’s not a bad shout. Despite the prejudices I went into their town with, I actually warmed to them.”

“They were dirty and uncouth, my Lord,” Zalen interrupted. “But they were fair and as kind as they could be in the circumstances.”

“Rattayak was raised to the ground two days after you left. By Justice,” Ewan replied flatly.

I felt as though I’d been punched in the gut at that news. “Ah, shit. Poor fuckers.”

“Indeed,” Ewan continued. “Almost eighty were killed of the six hundred goblins living there. Thankfully, the rest made it to the safety of these mountains. They are camped around fifteen miles south east from here,” he said, flatly, but I sensed the humor in him.

I shook my head. “You sly, old dog. You’re playing me like a damn fiddle, here, aren’t you?” I said, in good humor.

Ewan and the other Wultr bristled as I spoke, which made me question my words.

“I assure you there is no subterfuge here, and I am what I am, Lord Clive. I once roamed the world and now I sit peacefully in my mountains. I expect nothing from anyone, and I give just as little. Even so, I now find myself in the center of an ocean of change and I can’t navigate it alone. You are in a similar predicament and together, I believe, we can get through this. But for that, there will need to be trust. Will you trust me?” he asked seriously.

Squirming as he spoke, I looked around guiltily at my friends. Only the Wultr, including Sania and Grigor, appeared to be offended. Olata had a little smirk on her face. Grastad was scratching his ass, and Danivra studied her nails, but I could sense her humor along the bond. Refocusing on Ewan, I held up my hands placatingly. “Shit, man. Of course. I was only joking, you know. If your suggestions lead us to other people that’ll benefit from joining us, then I’ve no problems with that.”

Ewan nodded, seemingly content with my response. “I’m pleased to hear it. I’ll leave you one more. You will find the goblins in that direction,” he said pointing. “They’re currently content to settle where they are for now. Good luck with them. Tomorrow, I hope to have located another area for you to visit. There is a selection, but it depends on how their current difficulties play out.”

I nodded gratefully. “Thank you, Ewan. I mean it. We’ll raise an army, I promise.”

“I have faith in you. Sleep well for now,” he said, before morphing and disappearing.

“I can’t believe it was him, watching me all this time,” I said to Sania.

“I can’t believe you called him a sly, old dog! And suggested he was playing us like a fiddle!” she replied, disbelievingly.

“It just came out. He knows I didn’t mean anything by it,” I said, trying to pass it off.

She didn’t reply directly, but I heard her muttering sly, old dog, under her breath as she sat down on the ground.

“Shouldn’t we be discussing the building of our army?” Danivra asked. “That must be the main takeaway point from this. How do we all feel about that?”

“I love the idea,” Grastad answered.

“Honestly, so do I,” Sania said. “We’ll smash Justice at the Palathi Peaks, and keep building on our return home. Moving fast and hitting hard.”

“No Grobblers!” I said, sitting next to her and lying back. “Or dwarves! I’ve had my fill of short arses who live underground. If we meet any hobbits, they can fuck off, too.”

“What’s a habit?” Sania asked.

“Something a nun wears,” I replied, without even so much as a smirk.

“These must be things from Earth?” she shuddered. Her expression, close to disgust.

“Bloody hell, Sania. There’s no need to shudder when you mention Earth. It wasn’t that bad.”

“It was, Clive,” she said, laying against me. My foot in mouth moment with Ewan forgotten, hopefully.

“Funny thing. I actually found Grimstrom likable. It’s totally shit that it’s gone down like this.”

“I liked him, too,” Sania said. “But I like sleep better, Clive. Good night,” she sighed, raising her fist to the temple, and dropped off instantly.

I felt just as tired, but my mind was racing, over building a real army, capable of doing some serious damage. I sat deep in thought, watching the flickering flames dancing… battling in the dark, as I imagined forging ourselves into a force to be reckoned with.

After a while, I grew tired of my frantic mind and sent myself off to sleep.