The Tomes Of Magic Read Online Free Page B

that there were two other rooms. Leoth paused for a moment to allow the others to take in their surroundings. He would have much preferred their visit even as much as a month ago. The state of his home was not on the top list of his worries, but he was still slightly embarrassed. She’ll be here any moment , he thought as he looked at the door on the far end. There was no doubt in his mind that she wanted something greater for both of them, but he was sure that this was far from what she wanted. He grimaced as the door slowly swung open. Cassandra exited the door with a smile and whisked the group over to the largest table in the room.
    “I am Cassandra, Leoth and I have been wanting to speak with the three of you,” She said as she took her seat next to her husband.
    “Yes, your husband’s aspirations are quite surprising,” Talia replied.
    “Even so, I do believe we can assist one another,” Septimus said as he extended his hand to Cassandra.
    *
    Sev unsheathed his long sword and joined Borfin at the front lines. The Dwarven Honorguard, a remnant of the dwarven army that had been cut off from the main dwarven strongholds, had joined up with the elves earlier that month. With Sev and Borfin at the head of their forces, the unified army of elves and dwarves had made significant progress against the orcs. The Old Forest had been cleared of orcs, goblins, and even trolls. Their task now brought them to the entrance of the cave system that held the dwarven strongholds as well as numerous orcs and goblins camps. The brunt of the workload would shift to the dwarves now. Elves, though proficient in nearly any climate, preferred to fight in the forests where they had lived for centuries. Their newly forged alliance with the dwarves even the odds when it came to subterranean fighting.
    The half-elf looked forward to seeing the dwarves in action in the caverns. He had heard the tales of how dwarves had faced off against armies significantly more powerful than their own and had come away victorious. Many of the tales seemed to be stretching the truth, but the Ranger had no doubt that his dwarven companions were fierce combatants. He had seen them in action in the forests and they had not disappointed him. Their goal was a simple one, punch a hole through the orc forces and meet up with whatever remained of the dwarven kingdoms. Borfin had expressed on more than one occasion that he felt it would be simple once they had reunited with the rest of the dwarves. Sev disagreed, but dared not openly speak of it to the dwarf.
    “We must be wary of an ambush, the crossroads would be the perfect spot for it,” Sev said as they approached the entrance to the network of underground tunnels.
    “Orcs are nigh as good at tunneling as we. There is a good chance that we will find many an ambush spot in our journey. Let us hope their focus is on attack and not defense,” Borfin replied.
    “Let us hope that we can find these orcs before they engage the dwarven kingdoms or Ector and his men.”
    “It isn’t often that you hear somebody wishing that they were attacked instead of an Archwizard.”
    “Ector is powerful, but he is no warrior, my friend.”
    The half-elf didn’t wait for a reply as entered the caverns. His eyes adjusted to the dark almost immediately. It made him wonder about the words a Warlock had spoken to him once. Perhaps magic is more complicated than any of us know , he thought as he crept closer to the crossroads. If the orcs were waiting in ambush, they had masked their scent and were being much quieter than the norm. Yet, Sev remained unconvinced. Borfin and the dwarves strode forward, confident that they could defeat any orc they set eyes upon. The elves, being rather skeptical of their dwarven allies, looked to Sev for guidance. He gripped his sword tighter as he picked up his pace and overtook the dwarves. As he reached the first crossroads, he rolled forward and then pulled out his short sword. His assumption had