The Fall of Dorkhun Read Online Free PDF Page B

driven them off.
    “Was that part of your service to your matriarch?”
    “Yes,” Vishghu responded, unsure how to explain.
    “Then, we’re lucky to finally have you here.”
    As the road opened onto a level stretch, several guards stepped onto the path and halted them. The guide gave her clan name and explained the situation. One of the guards recognized her from the front and motioned for the others to step aside and let the pair through. He pointed to a line of trees and explained the matriarchs were in a clearing on the other side. The guide and Vishghu thanked him and moved in that direction. When they reached the trees, Vishghu tethered her buffalo to a sturdy branch, and then the two pushed through the thick branches.
    In the clearing, a large camp had been erected with several tables and dozens of chairs. Various maps of the Kiredurk eastern gate were strewn on the tables, and clusters of matriarchs huddled around the maps, discussing strategies and debating tactics. From their faces and voices, Vishghu could see a recent battle had not gone well. She scanned the camp for her matriarch and found her at a table near the middle. Vishghu turned to the guide and thanked her.
    “I’ll wait here for you,” the guide said. “In case you need anything.”
    “You don’t have to.”
    “I’ll confess. I’m curious about this news.”
    Vishghu moved through the crowd to where she had spotted her clan leader, and as she neared the table, the ogre looked up and spotted her. A smile came over the matriarch’s face and she rose from her seat.
    “Vishghu, you’re safe,” she said, hugging the young ogre.
    “Yes, ma’am,” Vishghu said, returning the hug.
    “I was worried about you. You look thin, and what are all these scars?”
    “It’s a long story.”
    “Is Evil Blade dead?”
    At the mention of the name, several other matriarchs stopped their conversations and turned their attention to them.
    “No ma’am, but he is still at Kwarck’s. He will not leave.”
    “Vishghu, you were under strict orders to stay with him until he died. He can’t be trusted.”
    “He will not leave.”
    “I picked you for this task because I thought you could handle it,” the matriarch’s voice droned with disappointment. “Why have you forsaken your duty?”
    Vishghu gathered herself and leaned in close:
    “Mother, we need to talk.”

Chapter 3
    A Son Returns
    Master Sondious stared at the map, imagining the path the ogres would take along the northern ridge of the recently destroyed tunnel. Several reports indicated they were planning to retake the position and resume digging, and there were three main paths they could take. Each one offered them ample cover before they reached crossbow range, so Master Sondious wanted to ambush them before they could reach the tunnel, but he had to decide which was most likely for them to take. The Kiredurks could cover one and possibly two of the trails, but they didn’t have units for all three.
    The chamber he sat in was nothing like the council room in Dorkhun. The table was a modest stone slab, large enough for eight dwarves at most, and the chairs, while well-crafted and cushioned, were purely functional. No decorations or ornaments adorned the walls. After months of spending twelve to sixteen hours a day in here, Master Sondious ached to see again the splendor of the Hall of Gronwheil.
    Across the room, the king was lost in his own thoughts. Since Captain Roighwheil had brought news that Roskin had possibly been spotted in the realm of the outcasts, Kraganere had been useless during strategy sessions. Master Sondious had planned the tunnel attack alone, and it had worked flawlessly, destroying the mouth of the excavation and trapping inside at least three dozen ogres. If it had been left up to the king, the ogres would have already burrowed into the kingdom and overrun the defenses. Although he hadn’t spoken the thought, Master Sondious had begun to doubt the king’s