the truth of the situation before him. They had stung their enemies again, but their time of advantage was over. Their fuel was exhausted.
Torgar looked past the flames and flaming trolls, to the horde of enemies behind, lurking down the hill, patiently waiting for the fires to diminish.
"Ye hold 'em here as long as ye can, but not a moment longer," Torgar instructed Shingles.
"Where're ye going, then?" the old dwarf asked.
"Galen Firth's needing to hear this from me again, so that there's no misunderstanding. We're going when we're going, and if they're not going, then they're on their own."
"Tell him, and let him see yer eyes when ye tell him," Shingles said. "He's a stubborn one."
"He'll be a dead one, then, and so be it."
Torgar patted his old friend on the shoulder and trotted along to the west, moving behind his boys and encouraging them with every step. He soon came to the human warriors, all readying their weapons, for their fires were burning low out on the hill before them. The dwarf had little trouble finding Galen Firth, for the man was up on a stone, shouting encouragement and pumping his fist.
"Well fought!" he said to Torgar when he spotted the approaching dwarf. "A brilliant move to go out and attack."
"Aye, and a smarter move's coming soon," Torgar replied. "The one that's putting us back in the tunnels, not to come out again."
Galen's smile remained as he digested those words, coming down from the stone. By the time he was standing before Torgar, that smile had been replaced by a frown.
"They have not breached our line, nor shall they!"
"Strong words, well spoken," said Torgar. "And true in the first and hopeful in the second. But if we're waiting to see if ye're right or wrong on what's to come, and ye're wrong, then we're all dead."
"I long ago pledged my life to the defense of Nesme."
"Then stand yer ground if that's yer choice. I'm here to tell ye that me and me boys're heading into the tunnels, and there we're to stay." Torgar was well aware of the many frightened looks coming in at him from all around at that proclamation.
"Ye'll want to tighten yer line, then," said Torgar. "If ye're that stubborn. Me thinking's that ye should be going into the tunnels with us - yer old ones and young afore us, and yer fighters beside us. That's me thinking, Galen Firth. Take it as ye will."
The dwarf bowed and turned to leave.
"I beg you to stay," Galen surprised him by saying. "As General Dagna decided to fight for Nesme."
Torgar turned on him sharply, his heavy eyebrows furrowing and shadowing his dark eyes. "Dagna gave his life and his boys gave theirs because ye were too stubborn to know when to run," he corrected. "It's not a mistake I'm planning on making. Ye been told that we're going. Ye been invited to come. Choice is yer own, and not mine."
The dwarf was quick in moving off, and when Galen called to him again, he just continued on his way, muttering, "Durn fool," under his breath with every step.
"Wait! Wait!" came a cry from behind, one that did turn Torgar around. He saw another of the Nesme warriors, Rannek, running along the line toward Galen Firth and pointing up at the sky. "Good dwarf, wait! It is Alustriel! Alustriel has come again!"
Torgar followed his finger skyward, and there in the dark sky the dwarf saw the streaking chariot of fire, coming in hard and fast.
At the same time, drumbeats filled the air, booming in from the southeast, and horns began to blow.
"The Silver Guard!" one man cried. "The Silver Guard of Silverymoon is come!"
Torgar looked at Galen Firth, who seemed as surprised as any, though he had been saying that such help would arrive from the beginning.
"Our salvation is at hand, good dwarf," Galen said to him. "Stay, then, and join in our great victory this night!"
* * * * *
"Lady Lolth, she's back," Tos'un groaned when he saw the telltale flash of fire sweeping out of the night sky.
"Obould's worst nightmare," Kaer'lic replied. "Alustriel of Silverymoon. A most formidable foe, so we have been told."
Tos'un glanced at Kaer'lic, the tone of her words showing him that she had taken that reputation as a challenge. She was staring up at the chariot, eyes sparkling, mouthing the words of a spell, her fingers tracing runes in the empty air.
She timed her delivery perfectly, casting just as Alustriel soared past, not