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.""But I remained," she went on, "I watched you until the end of your dance.""I would have been disappointed if the sight of me so could not hold you in place," Elbryan said playfully, and all tension was abruptly gone.Pony wrapped the man in a hug then, and gave him a deep kiss."Will you teach it to me?" she asked."The dance, I mean."Elbryan looked hard into her face."It was a gift to me from the Touel'alfar," he explained."A gift that I will, in turn, offer to you, but only with the blessings of the elves."Pony was honored, and she moved to kiss Elbryan again, but a rustle at the side caught her attention.Paulson moved out of the brush."The caravan must've traveled half the night," he said, referring to a goblin supply train they had been watching, coming from the north."We hit it today, or it makes Weedy Meadow.""Are they still along the river?" asked Elbryan.The big man nodded.Elbryan looked at Pony, who understood her role; and without further bidding, she ran off to find Avelyn and gather together those warriors who had been put under her charge.Elbryan closed his eyes and sent his thoughts into the forest, to Symphony-- the stallion grazing, as always these days, not so far away."Let us be off," the ranger then said to Paulson, "to prepare the battlefield as best suits us."There was no high ground in the path of the caravan, except those hills surrounding Weedy Meadow, and that locale would be too close to the occupied village.Elbryan and his forces had to go out further to the north, had to intercept and destroy the caravan before any aid could come from the monsters already encamped in the area.But there was no high ground, just thick woodlands, giving way to the brown and gray stones that lined the riverbank.At least the river would form a barrier to their enemies, the ranger thought, preventing an easy escape."Two groups coming," Bradwarden explained, catching up to Elbryan and the others as they determined their attack routes."Small one in front, goblins mostly, but with a giant helping, cutting the trees and clearing the way.""For wagons?" Elbryan asked, and he hoped that he was right."War engines," the centaur explained."Two big contraptions, catapults, all set on wheels and pulled by three giants each.""Too many," muttered Paulson, standing at Elbryan's side.The ranger looked at the man, no coward certainly, and wasn't sure that he could disagree.Seven giants -- at least -- and a host of powries and goblins might indeed be more than the ranger and his band could handle."Well, we can hit at them anyway," Paulson offered a moment later."But we best be ready to run off if the tide turns against us."Elbryan looked at Bradwarden."What of scouts?" he asked."Oh, they've plenty o' goblin rats running about the trees," the centaur replied, smiling widely as he lifted a twig to pick his teeth."Two less, now,"he said mischievously.The ranger made a subtle movement, one that only Bradwarden caught, putting his finger up beside his ear, indicating a pointy ear, thus an elf.The centaur nodded; the elves were in the area, and Elbryan was confident that he and his band would not have to worry much about any goblin scouts.Pony came riding in then on a roan mare, one of several wild horses that would allow themselves to be ridden.Brother Avelyn came huffing and puffing behind her, the monk trotting along without complaint."The most important task before us is the destruction of the war engines,"Elbryan decided."For surely they will be put to deadly use against the towns to the south, even against the high walls of Palmaris."The ranger paused for a while and considered all that he had heard."How many in the front group?" he asked the centaur."Ah, a motley bunch," Bradwarden replied sourly, as if even speaking of the creatures left a foul taste in his mouth."A dozen, I'd say, hacking at the trees, tearing at them, while the giant clears what's fallen.Ugly wretches.I'll kill the lot of them, if ye want."Elbryan almost believed that the centaur would do just that."Can you handle a giant?" he asked.Bradwarden snorted as if the very question were insulting.The ranger turned to Pony."Take ten and the centaur," he explained."You must destroy that front group and quickly [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]