The Half Dwarf Prince Read Online Free Page B

on the dwarves’ movement, Alamira, and any rumors about the Black Dragons. There will still be plenty of our members walking around so that should help with that. They won’t have much leadership, though. Don’t get involved, and don’t attract attention. Just make your reports and have Allocco bring them to me. Write them down so you don’t confuse him.” They both smiled at that. “You’re leaving in the morning,” he said as he turned and walked out of the room.
    When Vingaza got back to his own apartment Fredin was sitting in the chair next to his bed. Fredin was brazen, but this was uncharacteristic behavior for him. “Is there something I can help you with?” he asked the orc calmly.
    “You brought all these humans here. You said you were sending some out to let us know what the dwarves were planning. They are all still here, and none of them have done anything to help,” Fredin said. He was intelligent for an orc, but he wasn’t a conversationalist.
    “As to the scouts , they will be leaving in the morning. For the second part, what is it you need help with?” he said with a feigned hint of trepidation.
    “There are a couple areas in the center of the mountain that we have to travel around. It takes a long time and is—what is the word for ‘it takes too long’?”
    “Inconvenient,” Vingaza said with a smile.
    “Ya, inconvenient. It is slowing down progress. We started clearing the rubble from the area but it started to collapse. Can your wizards do some magic on the walls and ceilings to make the area so we can use it?”
    Vingaza thought about the request for a minute. “Have some steel brought up from the old smiths. I will send them two at a time. They will work nonstop with your orcs until the area is done. It won ’t be pretty. They will just meld the beams together, making supports like they do in the underground human mines. They can do it as your orcs carry out the rubble. I’ll go let them know.”
    Fredin watched the wizard turn and start for the door without even waiting for his response. “Wait.”
    “Did you need more?” Vingaza asked sarcastically. He wouldn’t submit to the orc. He had to temper his defiance, though. He had made it clear that he wasn’t a subject of the orc leader. He could kill the orc easily enough and they both knew it. He couldn’t kill all of the orcs, however, and that’s what he would have to do if he killed this one. The orc horde tolerated his presence because of Fredin.
    “Don’t send them yet. We can wait a couple of days to get started,” Fredin said with a hidden smile.
    Vingaza looked at him quizzically. “If this was so important that it had you sitting in here waiting for me, then why would you wait a couple of days?”
    “I just wanted to have the plan in place for when I am ready to execute it,” Fredin said with a smile as he walked passed Vingaza and out of the room.
    The emphasis on the word execute explained it all. Fredin was going to wait until the other clan chief complained about either the area or the humans, and when he did, Fredin would turn the other orc’s words around on him, making them into a challenge. Then the other clan chief would have no choice but to step up to the challenge he hadn’t intended to make and most likely be killed, or he’d back down and surely be killed by the other orcs, who now thought him weak. It was a good plan, Vingaza thought. Now he had his own plan in place, and all Vingaza could do was wait for more information before he could make any further plans. At least he had the orcs to entertain him in the meantime.

C hapter Three
Frau Kleinod
     
    It had been two days since the kings had nominated a queen for Shinestone. Grundel had just closed his eyes when someone began banging on the door to his apartment. He got up and went to the door. When he opened it he found one of Kraft’s advisors with his fist raised to start banging again.
    “She’s here. The council of kings will begin