Reyr the Gold (Dragonwall Series # 2)

Chapter 38 - A Blunder of Words

"The Gobelins have not made things easy for us," he admitted, going on none the wiser to her inner thoughts. "But I believe the worst of it has passed...Let us hope."

She learned that during his time in Lincastle, King Talon spent much of his efforts organizing troops for villages along the Eastern Barrier Range. Those who lived through the attacks were largely demoralized, weakened, and still vulnerable. "I knew we needed troops posted in those villages—and quickly. I knew it was only a matter of time before more attacks would follow. Gobelins are wicked—they do not simply stop. They must be stopped. I saw it years ago...almost like it was yesterday..." He shook his head, his eyes no longer in focus, as if he were reliving the ordeal. "My biggest challenge was determining which villages required troops. When the attacks happen, they happen at random. Do you keep your troops concentrated? Do you anticipate where the next attacks will be? Or, do you risk spreading your troops thin?"

"Um..." She thought about the best way to answer. "I think it depends upon the numbers. How many Gobelins are you up against? Even then, numbers aren't everything. Perhaps if you take a risk and fortify every village, you will take some of the guesswork out. Your odds will be better if a village is defended with a small force, rather than no force at all. When you look at it that way, it simply becomes a statistics problem I suppose..."

He appeared thoughtful. "What you say holds merit. If I spread my soldiers thin, the villages will still stand a chance against the Gobelins. Even a few men can make a big stand."

Claire took a couple of bites of potatoes before saying, "What about the Drengr? Can't they do more to help?"

"Yes, and no." King Talon sighed. This seemed like a clear point of frustration for him. "Fort Lin is a two-day flight across the desert. For the villages farther north, it can take three days. No, we must organize permanent defense troops—swordsmen, pikemen, and the like. Splitting up our Drengr teams allows us to assist more villages, however, it decreases our numbers in each village. It becomes a balancing act, just as it is with the soldiers."

"But the Drengr breathe fire! How many are really needed to kill the Gobelins?"

"The number might surprise you. Gobelins are tough. They do not burn as easily as you might think. Sometimes I think of them like rats." He grunted. "Actually, perhaps they are more like ants. We are vastly outnumbered, just as we were during the Gobelin Wars. How do the damned things breed so quickly?"

She opened her mouth, then closed it. He wasn't looking for an actual answer.

"Besides," he added, "that's hardly the worst of it."

"The worst of it?"

"The little beasts found a way to get Ice Metal." He lost his composure and scowled deeply.

"Ice Metal is mined by the Dwargs, is it not? The Dwargs are allies to Dragonwall. They have sworn allegiance to you. Haven't they? How...?"

"Clearly there are traitors in their midst. The question is, how many?"

"Wait, what about Kane? We know he's hiding in the mountains. You don't think...is he working with the Dwargs too? Is he hiding out with them?"

King Talon's eyes regarded her fiercely. "You have a passion for Dragonwall that I had not expected. You need not fear. Kane is not working with the Dwargs. I have enough spies to know for certain."

She exhaled. "That's good. But still, it's another thing for you to worry about."

"Add it to my list," he said then smiled.

"I suppose your list has grown quite long." She smiled too; it was contagious.

As the meal progressed, they continued to discuss Kane and their suspicions. The food was spectacular, but she soon grew fonder of their conversation and abandoned her plate entirely. After a glass of wine, she was beginning to feel much more at ease in King Talon's presence. By her second glass, she found herself reluctant to leave. What the king had promised would be a short meal, was quickly turning into a lengthy one. Yet, neither of them seemed to notice, or perhaps they pretended otherwise.