He pulled himself to his feet and staggered to the bank and tried to run along.
Something punched him hard in the back, but he only yelled and continued his run.
If only he could find a log. He'd drag it into the river, and freezing water be damned, he'd grab onto it and push himself out from the bank.
Some trees ahead looked promising, but the shouts were sounding closer and Nikwillig feared he would not make it.
And for some reason he did not immediately comprehend, his legs were moving more slowly, and were tingling as if they were going numb.
The dwarf stopped and looked down, and saw blood - his own blood - dripping down to the ground between his widespread feet. He reached around and only then did he understand that the punch he'd felt had been no punch at all, for his hand closed over the shaft of a goblin spear.
"O Moradin, ye're teasing me," Nikwillig said as he dropped to his knees.
Behind him, he heard the hoots and shouts of charging goblins.
He looked down at his hands, to the leg of lamb he still held, and with a shrug, he brought it up and tore off another chunk of meat.
He didn't swallow as fast, though, but chewed that bite and rolled it around in his mouth, savoring its sweetness, its texture, and the warmth of it. It occurred to him that if he had a mug of mead in his other hand that would be a good way for a dwarf to die.
He knew the goblins were close, but was surprised when a club smacked him off the back of the head, launching him face down in the dirt.
Nikwillig of Citadel Felbarr tried to concentrate on the taste of the lamb, tried to block out the pain.
He hoped that death would take him quickly.
Then he knew no more.
12. FOOL ME ONCE, SHAME ON ME, FOOL ME TWICE
"You cannot even think of continuing back toward Nesme," Rannek scolded after he had taken Galen Firth off to the side of the main encampment.
They had run for many hours after the heroic intervention of General Dagna and his dwarves, going back to the foothills in the north near where the dwarves had found the tunnels that would take them to Mithral Hall.
"Would you make the sacrifice of those fifty dwarves irrelevant for the sake of your pride?" Rannek pressed.
"You are one to be speaking of pride," Galen Firth replied, and his adversary did back down at that.
But only for a moment, then Rannek squared his shoulders and puffed out his broad chest. "I will never forget my error, Galen Firth," he admitted. "But I will not complicate that error now by throwing our entire force into the jaws of the trolls and bog blokes."
"They were routed!" Galen yelled, and both he and Rannek glanced back to the main group to note several curious expressions coming back at them. "They were routed," he said again, more quietly. "Between the dwarves' valiant stand and Alustriel's firestorm, the enemy forces were sliced apart. Did they even offer any pursuit? No? Then is it not also possible that the monsters have gone home to their dung-filled moor? Are you so ready to run away?"
"And are you truly stupid enough to walk back into them? Care you not for those who cannot fight? Should our children die on your gamble, Galen Firth?"
"We do not even know where the caves are," Galen argued. "We cannot simply wander the countryside blindly and hope we find the right hole in the ground."
"Then let us march to Silverymoon," offered Rannek.
"Silverymoon will march to us," Galen insisted. "Did you not see Alustriel?
Rannek chewed his lip and it took all of his control not to just spit on the man. "Are you that much the fool?" he asked. "The ungrateful fool?"
"I am not the fool who put us out here, far from our homes," Galen answered without hesitation, and in the same calm tone that Rannek had just used on him. "That man stands before me now, errantly thinking he has the credibility to question me."
Rannek didn't blink and didn't back down, but in truth, he knew that he had no practical answer to that. He was not in command. The beleaguered folk of Nesme would not listen to him over the assurances and orders of the proven Galen Firth.
He stared at the man a while longer, then just shook his head and