Richard said. “But it has been almost ten years since an envoy of the elves came to the Green Castle. I will not dismiss you so easily. What of the red men with wings? Can you explain that?”
“War demons of another world,” Haern said, chuckling as he said it. Harruq thought the assassin far too amused by their preposterous tale.
“Get these buffoons out of here,” an inebriated soldier called from far down the table. Richard glared but did not spot the offender. He uncrossed his arms and leaned forward, looking directly at each member of the Eschaton in turn.
“My scouts along our northern border have reported orcs across the Bone Ditch,” he admitted. “Nothing major, not yet. They’ve crossed before and broke on the walls of Veldaren. Indeed, many were returning to the Vile Wedge, and I thought them defeated. Now you say they had victory. Will they come for us?”
“You must give up this silly fight with an errant Knight,” insisted Harruq. “We think the war demons will give chase after King Antonil and the rest of Veldaren’s survivors. The orcs will come for the Hillock, though. You need to muster your troops and protect your people!”
“It will be a cold day in the Abyss before I let a man of orcish blood tell me how to run my lands,” Lord Sully said, standing. “I will remove the danger within my own house before turning to the danger without. This feast is done. Return to your rooms. I will send a servant for you before I march.”
Harruq stood, biting his tongue to keep himself from saying anything that might earn him a stay in a dungeon cell. Two soldiers led them away. Once back in their rooms, Harruq stripped off his clothes, glad to be done with them. He put on his own outfit, feeling far more comfortable.
“What I’d give to have my swords back,” he muttered as he collapsed atop the bed. He shifted about and grunted. “Huh. At least the bed’s comfy. What is in here, anyway? Goose feathers?”
Aurelia lay down beside him and covered her eyes with her wrist.
“This is all a waste of time,” she said. “The last thing we need is the few troops here slaughtering each other. When the orcs do arrive, they’ll find the land ripe for the taking.”
“We hurt the orcs pretty bad at Veldaren,” Harruq said. He wrapped his arms around his wife and held her close. “If Lord Sully’s seen orcs moving back and forth, it means they’re trying to get back to the Vile Wedge. They don’t have the numbers to siege any castles. However; if it was Velixar got them into Neldar, I doubt it was over a bridge.”
“A bridge!” Aurelia said, bolting upward.
The door opened, and in stepped Haern. He, too, had changed back to his normal attire.
“Did I startle you?” Haern asked as he shut the door.
“The orcs will need far greater numbers if they’re to take either Felwood or the Green Castle,” Aurelia said. “What if they’re trying to build a bridge across the Bone Ditch? That’s the only real way for them to get reinforcements. It’d take months for them to go south and over the Rigon River, then loop all the way back north.”
“Bridges tend to burn easily,” Haern said, grinning at Aurelia. “Think you can make us some fire?”
Aurelia winked.
“Let me get out of this dress,” she said. “For now, let’s enjoy the beds we have and leave tomorrow morning.”
“Richard won’t be happy,” Harruq warned.
“Since when did you care about pissing off others?” Haern asked.
Harruq shrugged.
“Just saying is all. But I prefer to have my swords with me when I piss someone off.”
Haern laughed and left the room.
“They won’t dare detain us if I demand our leave,” Aurelia said as she removed the elegant dress and laid it out across the bed. “Now stop staring and help me with the laces.”
Harruq helped tie the back, then kissed her neck when she was done.
“Least we get something useful out of you being an elf,” he said.
She turned around and
“War demons of another world,” Haern said, chuckling as he said it. Harruq thought the assassin far too amused by their preposterous tale.
“Get these buffoons out of here,” an inebriated soldier called from far down the table. Richard glared but did not spot the offender. He uncrossed his arms and leaned forward, looking directly at each member of the Eschaton in turn.
“My scouts along our northern border have reported orcs across the Bone Ditch,” he admitted. “Nothing major, not yet. They’ve crossed before and broke on the walls of Veldaren. Indeed, many were returning to the Vile Wedge, and I thought them defeated. Now you say they had victory. Will they come for us?”
“You must give up this silly fight with an errant Knight,” insisted Harruq. “We think the war demons will give chase after King Antonil and the rest of Veldaren’s survivors. The orcs will come for the Hillock, though. You need to muster your troops and protect your people!”
“It will be a cold day in the Abyss before I let a man of orcish blood tell me how to run my lands,” Lord Sully said, standing. “I will remove the danger within my own house before turning to the danger without. This feast is done. Return to your rooms. I will send a servant for you before I march.”
Harruq stood, biting his tongue to keep himself from saying anything that might earn him a stay in a dungeon cell. Two soldiers led them away. Once back in their rooms, Harruq stripped off his clothes, glad to be done with them. He put on his own outfit, feeling far more comfortable.
“What I’d give to have my swords back,” he muttered as he collapsed atop the bed. He shifted about and grunted. “Huh. At least the bed’s comfy. What is in here, anyway? Goose feathers?”
Aurelia lay down beside him and covered her eyes with her wrist.
“This is all a waste of time,” she said. “The last thing we need is the few troops here slaughtering each other. When the orcs do arrive, they’ll find the land ripe for the taking.”
“We hurt the orcs pretty bad at Veldaren,” Harruq said. He wrapped his arms around his wife and held her close. “If Lord Sully’s seen orcs moving back and forth, it means they’re trying to get back to the Vile Wedge. They don’t have the numbers to siege any castles. However; if it was Velixar got them into Neldar, I doubt it was over a bridge.”
“A bridge!” Aurelia said, bolting upward.
The door opened, and in stepped Haern. He, too, had changed back to his normal attire.
“Did I startle you?” Haern asked as he shut the door.
“The orcs will need far greater numbers if they’re to take either Felwood or the Green Castle,” Aurelia said. “What if they’re trying to build a bridge across the Bone Ditch? That’s the only real way for them to get reinforcements. It’d take months for them to go south and over the Rigon River, then loop all the way back north.”
“Bridges tend to burn easily,” Haern said, grinning at Aurelia. “Think you can make us some fire?”
Aurelia winked.
“Let me get out of this dress,” she said. “For now, let’s enjoy the beds we have and leave tomorrow morning.”
“Richard won’t be happy,” Harruq warned.
“Since when did you care about pissing off others?” Haern asked.
Harruq shrugged.
“Just saying is all. But I prefer to have my swords with me when I piss someone off.”
Haern laughed and left the room.
“They won’t dare detain us if I demand our leave,” Aurelia said as she removed the elegant dress and laid it out across the bed. “Now stop staring and help me with the laces.”
Harruq helped tie the back, then kissed her neck when she was done.
“Least we get something useful out of you being an elf,” he said.
She turned around and
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