by Jeff Inlo
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Sazar waited on a hilltop far to the west of Burbon. His scouts would return soon. Most of the puzzle was coming together. A few pieces were missing, but nothing which would make him question the inevitable. The war he wished for was at hand.
The only thing that truly bothered him at this moment was the departure of the delver. He went north, left quickly and alone. Why?
He would have to wait for this answer. The goblin scouting party made their return known. They struggled through the tall grass to make their report. They said nothing which he did not expect. He sent them away.
He stood not so alone, his shag waited close-by, hiding in the hill grass. He spoke, however, only to himself.
"The alliance is firm. More elves join the humans, train them. They will fight together against the dwarves. They expect an attack, expect it soon. They also expect it to be large. They are well prepared. Their defense seems clear.
"I wonder how much the dwarves of Dunop would pay for such information. They may already know much of this. If so, they would not reward me. I am certain they must know of the alliance between the elves and humans. They would be foolish if they didn't. As for the preparedness of Burbon, they can find out much by tunneling underneath. I doubt they would be willing to pay for anything I could tell them.
"I could offer them an alliance. If they fight alone against two races, they might accept joining with my goblins. We could offer ranged attacks with crossbows. That would certainly help against the planned defense. But the dwarves are so stubborn. They will believe themselves superior regardless of the planned defenses.
"And I still do not know the position of the algors. The dwarves may already have an ally. The elves and the delver came back from the Lacobian alone. It is quite possible the algors refused them. The question is did they join the dwarves instead. Now, I come back to the delver. Why did he leave? Is he against the war? If so, why did he go with the elves to the Lacobian? If not, why did he leave just before battle?"
Sazar flipped his tail back and forth with his thoughts. He agonized over details now, trying to find the most lucrative means for taking advantage of the war soon to be fought.
"The humans will not trust me. That is certain. They also have the help of the elves, therefore they will not be desperate, either. I can offer them little. A bargain maybe, a cessation of hostilities for a price. They may be willing to pay much for that. If they do not have to worry about us, they can turn their attention completely to the dwarves. Of course, that doesn't mean I have to honor that bargain. If the humans are weakened in battle, we could easily use the tunnel to attack and take what is left.
"At the same time, the dwarves have much in the way of gold and light gems. I might be able to offer the services of my goblins as a diversion. That tactic always appeals to them."
The thought of the light gems and the gold struck a chord with the Sazar. Yes, the dwarves had the most to offer, but did he have to wait for an offer? There was a chance he could simply take what the wanted. His thoughts spilled over the possibilities.
"The humans expect a large attack. If that is true, the dwarves will tunnel directly from Dunop to Burbon. The path will be there for us. Win or lose, any dwarf attack will tire their forces. The moment will be right. That is what I must wait for."
