Jeff Inlo - Chain of Bargains

The War Com had planned successful attacks against the elves in Dark Spruce and nearly destroyed Connel. He almost destroyed Burbon as well, but he had disappeared after Ryson had surrendered himself to Yave. Strog's arrest had been ordered after Yave was defeated and those loyal to the Folarok name regained power, but he was never found.

Ulet ignored the delver's obvious surprise and quickly answered the War Com's question.

"The elf took off in a fit of fear after entering the city. She appeared overwhelmed by being enclosed underground."

"You let her escape?!"

Ulet appeared stunned by the charge and explained that nothing of the sort had occurred.

"No, I have ordered sentries to guard the exits and to patrol the city until they find her. She was completely bewildered in the streets. She couldn't even follow the same path back to the hillside tunnel. She will not get away."

The War Com fumed, but then turned to the delver. He sneered a half smile as he saw the recognition in Ryson's eyes.

"So you remember me. Good. Do you have any idea what's going on here?"

Ryson just shook his head.

Grandhammer had no intention of explaining. He had questions of his own.

"Why did you return with a goblin?"

Ryson said nothing. He was no longer sure of what to say or do, but he knew he didn't wish to assist the War Com separatist in any fashion.

Strog never took his eyes off the delver, but issued an order to those dwarves around him.

"Take hold of him."

They did so before Ryson could escape, though escape was never a possibility. The room had but one exit, which was bolted and guarded. He could try to outmaneuver them for a while, but he would never get out.

"Chain him so he cannot move," Strog demanded. "I want him completely bound."

The dwarves pulled the war blades from Ryson's hips and then wrapped heavy chains around his arms and legs. They locked them tight about his body. When finished, they pushed him to the ground.

"Just so there is no confusion, I want you to understand something," Strog growled as he looked down upon the delver. He put his boot on Ryson's shoulder and pressed down to accentuate his point. "I have already killed the queen and I have placed the king in captivity where no one will ever find him. I will eventually kill him as well, but only when the time is right. I'm telling you this so you understand that I would not hesitate for one moment in killing you. Whether or not you survive the next few moments will all depend on how you answer me. I will ask you again, why did you return with the goblin?"

Ryson didn't believe for one moment that an honest answer, or an answer of any kind, would change his fate, so he said nothing.

Ulet, however, decided to fill the silence. She wanted to let Strog know that she had already obtained that information. She spoke in an almost boastful tone.

"They know the goblins are in the mines. They brought one here as a prisoner. They said they wanted to warn us. I left the goblin at the entrance."

Strog sneered at Ulet.

"When I want an answer from you, I'll ask you." Strog then turned his attention back to the delver. "So you wanted to warn us. We're already aware of the goblins in the mines. We sent them there. We weren't going to waste our time digging up diamonds and silver just to give to humans. Goblins are inefficient miners-they make better thieves-but it's not like they're stealing from us. They're stealing directly from under the humans' noses and then using it to buy them off."

Not wishing to be ignored by the delver again, Strog decided to put his next question directly to Ulet, especially since she seemed so eager to answer.

"Did he say anything else?"

"He questioned me about bringing the goblin scent sack."

Strog grinned and then actually answered the question as he looked down on the delver.

"Isn't it obvious to you by now? I didn't want you smelling any traces of goblins in our tunnels. I know how strong the senses of a delver are. I don't let the goblins wander around the city in sight, but I've had to communicate with them a great deal the last few days. The scent bag was cover." He looked back to Ulet. "What else?"

"After the elf panicked, he wanted to chase after her. I wouldn't let him."

"At least you did that right. Is that all?"

Ulet sneered at the clear jab at her competence, but said nothing further.

Strog then pressed down harder with his boot on Ryson's shoulder.

"You're a delver. You have questions. What are they? This will be your only chance to ask."

Ryson managed just one word.

"How?"

"That's it?" Strog responded with a twisted grin. " How? Are you hoping I'll tell you the whole story? Well I won't. I would have thought why would have been the better question." Then, the dwarf snickered to himself as he thought of an additional burden to place on his prisoner. "Maybe I'll answer a little of both and let your delver yearnings struggle with the details."

He leaned slightly closer to Ryson even as he spoke with a louder and harsher voice.

"You want to know how? You think the separatist movement was restricted to Dunop? That's rather naive. We have believers in every dwarf city, and our ideas have only taken greater hold since the return of the magic. I came to Sterling because I knew that several separatists had already taken key positions as advisors and counselors. They just needed a leader."

"A failed leader," Ryson added, disgusted with the dwarf and the crimes he proudly professed.

"You'll get no argument from me," Strog admitted freely. "That's why they're following me now. In failure, I learned a great deal… and I didn't make the same mistakes here. In Dunop, I allowed Yave to lead because I thought it was necessary. It wasn't. I should have just killed her and not told anyone. You can run things from the palace as long as no one knows what's going on, and no one really needs to know what's happening here. The king and queen got sick, and now we've been guarding their health. At least that's what nearly every dwarf in Sterling believes. Only those I trust know the truth. Advisors and ministers that I couldn't trust have been removed and replaced. As for the rest, you don't have to tell them a thing. They go about their lives as if everything is fine. No king, no queen, just ordinary dwarves taking charge."

"But the dwarves still think they're under the rule of the king," Ryson reminded the War Com. "You're not really in charge of anything."

"Who cares what they think?! Reality is all that matters. And this is reality. I've given orders that will change the face of the Great Valleys and bring the dwarves to dominance. The goblins are going to force the humans out of every town and every farm across each valley. Think about that. Not just the thousands of humans that have already fled, but when the time is right, they'll all be removed. They will be forced west, just as those pathetic refugees before them. As the plains and the mountains are overwhelmed, they will all drown in a sea of pathetic humanity."

"That's your grand plan? So instead of humans in the valleys, you'll have goblins. You think that's better?"

"You have no vision. Do you think that's what will happen? Goblins are even more pathetic than humans. They'll end up battling amongst themselves after one dormant season. They won't stay in the valleys. They won't know what to do with themselves. Eventually, they'll move west after the humans to raid the farms in the central plains and then to the mountains. There will be one battle for resources after another, and eventually goblins and humans will kill each other off completely… and the dwarves will not have had to lift a finger. That should give you an indication of how and why this is all happening, and it's as much as I intend on telling you."