It felt good to be on dry land again. Not just because of the rocking waves and the seasickness, but because here I could begin to forget the horror I had experienced at sea. I would never forget it entirely, but being on land, and familiar land at that, made it easier to focus on the task ahead.

   Oros and his crew were preparing to set out again, and Hadar and his men were helping. The Death Bringers and the Bleak Riders were milling about on the shore, inspecting their weapons, talking, or just staring at the barren expanse that was ahead. Caledorn was restringing his bow and listening to Taryi, who was animatedly recounting some story or other. Pallando and Alatar were in a heated debate of sorts, and I decided to steer clear of them. What little I had overheard had given me the impression that Pallando was angry at Alatar for killing the enemy, and Alatar was angry that Pallando hadn't done something to help him attack sooner.

   As I wandered near the ship Oros approached me, a roguish grin on his face.

   "Well, princey, me boys and I are ready to shove off. Guess this is the end of the line," He said.

   "It is... For now. I am most grateful for your help friend," I said with a smile.

   "Ah forget about it! Just did it outta the kindness o' me heart!" The dwarf laughed heartily and held out his hand. "But remember! We have a deal!"

   "Indeed we do," I said, taking his hand and shaking it. "I hope to see you again, Oros."

   "Aye, you'll see me again! Probably just at the moment when ye don't wanna! See ye around princey, have fun rulin' and all!" The dwarf laughed one last time, bowed, and spun around, skipping back to his ship and whistling merrily.

   I didn't notice Nadow approach from behind until he cleared his throat. I turned and saw him and Preliator Ryuna standing there expectantly.

   "I suppose you're here so that I can brief you on the situation from here out," I said quietly.

   "Yes, my prince," Nadow said. Ryuna nodded silently, his mask hiding any further expression of interest. I pulled a map from my pack and unfolded it.

   "The Khan's army is almost always situated around Morgothrone. But since war is brewing, that may no longer be the case. Nadow, I need you to send some men out to scout. Send men here, here, and here," I said, pointing to various spots on the map. The first spot was Morgothrone itself. The second, a fortress nearby that the army was often stationed at. The third was far to the north, and was where my tribe, the Dorgeshi, gathered during times of war.

   "It shall be done," Nadow said. "Is there anything else?"

   "Yes. We should prepare defenses here in case they attack us. They may think they can take us by surprise here." I pointed to several chokepoints along the beach. "If we can shore those up, it will be nearly impossible for them to do so. They cannot attack from the sea, as there is no fleet harbored on the northern coast. Our flank is protected in that respect."

   "What can I do?" Ryuna asked. His Common Speech had improved significantly in the time that he had been with our company, and though his accent was still thick it had become relatively easy to understand him.

   "I need you to send a small company of Riders to Marone. It's a small village along the beach. It's possible that they may have seen us disembark, your men must make sure no-one leaves the village. Tell them to stay out of sight and keep an eye on the road."

   "And if someone does leave?" He inquired. One thing I had grown to admire about Ryuna was that he was a very measured man. He always attempted to gain as much information as he could about any given matter before taking action on it.

   "Your men will apprehend them. Tell them not to harm anyone though if possible." I wanted to prevent as much bloodshed as possible, and I knew that both of my commanders felt the same way.

   "As you wish, my prince," Ryuna said.

   "That is all. Thank you, my friends," I added, smiling at them appreciatively. Ryuna bowed and left, but Nadow stayed.

   "Did you need something?" I asked him.

   "I need you to answer me truthfully about a certain matter," He said carefully. He looked at me intently, awaiting an answer.

   I was unsure of what he was about to ask, but I wanted to be open with him if possible. "Very well. Ask away," I said.

   "Is everything alright? With you I mean. I have seen how this journey has tested you, and I know that many lesser men would have failed already."

   I smiled wearily at him. "I appreciate your concern. In truth, I am troubled. But I suppose that every leader has his share of trials, and it is no different for me. Though, if I had a choice I would not be a leader at all." I looked down at the ground.

   "But no leader should have to deal with troubles alone," Nadow said, resting a comforting hand on my shoulder. "You have many friends, do not hide your worries from them all."

   "I wish I didn't have to," I said defeatedly. "But if they all knew my thoughts they would no longer follow me."

   "Do you think that we'll lose?" he asked.

   "I fear that we may. Our men are brave, but not nearly numerous enough. If Khanar has aid from Mordor we will not stand a chance."

   "I do not think we will need to worry about that," a voice said from behind me. I quickly spun around to see Caledorn, accompanied by black cloaked man whom I did not recognize.

   "Allow me to introduce Radarian, the Khan's brother and leader of the Order of the Moon," Caledorn said, motioning toward the stranger.

   I immediately tensed at the name of the Order. The last time I had heard it I had been fleeing from them.

   "Why are you here?" I asked, perhaps more sharply than I intended.

   "My, my, Prince Rukil, you must learn manners if you are to become a part of Rhunic politics," Radarian said in a belittling tone. "I am here on behalf of my brother, whom you have not met. He, however, has most certainly heard of you by now, as has the rest of Rhun for that matter."

   "I know who he is," I said. "I also will not soon forget that you worked for Lord Khanar, who is now in open revolt against the Khan."

   "Ah yes, an unfortunate mistake," Radarian said. "Khanar had not yet rebelled openly when he contracted us. Not to mention that he was deceptive, and made it appear that the orders had come from my brother. But the past is the past. We must now talk of the future. Yours, and all of Rhun's."

   "I agree," I said reluctantly. Though I was disinclined to speak with this man, I did want to secure an alliance with the Khan. And it seemed now as though the time had come for such an alliance.

   "Let us sit. Diplomacy should not be done in the open, without refreshment," He said.

   "Indeed. This way please," I said, leading the man to my tent. Caledorn followed closely behind, and Radarian seemed annoyed by it.

   "Can we trust the elf?" He asked, jerking his thumb toward Caledorn.

   "I trust him, definitely more than I trust you," I said dryly. Radarian frowned but didn't press the issue further. I guided him into my tent and we both sat down on either side of my table.

   "Bring our guest some refreshments, please," I said to a Death Bringer who stood guard outside my tent. He nodded and hurried away to carry out my orders.

   "I'm sure you know that your brother, Ramil, has sided with the rebels," Radarian said immediately.

   "Indeed I do. Otherwise I would not be considering an alliance with your brother," I replied.

   "Desperate times call for strange bedfellows, as they say," Radarian said. "But it would further interest you to know that your brother is now dead."

   "Dead? How?" I asked, not believing what I had just heard.

   "He 'passed away unexpectedly in the night', according to Lord Khanar. Conveniently he managed to convince the elders to appoint him as leader of your tribe not more than a day afterward." He paused as the soldier returned with tea, which Radarian took a sip of and nodded graciously.

   "Khanar is more devious than I thought," I said, taking a cup of tea for myself. "Do you have any proof that he assassinated my brother?"

   "No. But the proof is in the budngh, as the saying goes. Khanar has made power plays before, only not on such a scale."

   "This makes things somewhat easier, to be honest," I admitted. I felt as though I should feel sorrowful over my brother's untimely death, but I did not. He was my brother in name only, neither of us had ever cared about each other. He had been pampered, I had been abused. He was lazy, I was not. We had been opposites in almost every way.

   "Indeed. And with that out of the way, we should discuss the terms of our alliance. What are your terms?" Radarian asked.

   "A temporary alliance only. I will assist the Khan in defeating the rebels, in exchange he shall declare my tribe to be free and independent. He shall sign a declaration stating that he, nor any of his successors, can attempt to subjugate us by strength of arms. All land east of the Sea of Rhun and north of the East Celduin River Valley belong to my people, and yours shall never cross into it except by prior agreement."

   "Any other terms?" Radarian asked, writing down what I had already said.

   I thought for a moment. "No... Actually yes. You must close down the Pit of Morgothrone, and all arena fighting by slaves must be prohibited. All slaves currently recorded as being fighters will be freed and offered positions in your army."

   "Hmm... I personally find your terms reasonable... Commendable even, but I do not know if the Khan will find objection with that last bit. Better to lose one tribe than to lose an entire empire." He continued to write. "One thing you should also know," He leaned close and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Should the Khan win, he will plan on giving you a position of high honor among the tribes. You and Warlord Re'zin the Sarethi were the only major rulers not to rebel. And Re'zin did not send any aid, his tribe is too far south to arrive in time. This puts you in position to become the second most powerful man in all of Rhun."

   I looked at him in surprise. "Why have you told me this?"

   "Consider it a debt repaid. We once sought to kill you wrongfully, so in return for our wrongdoing I offer information. We're even now." He stood and pulled his hood over his head. "The road to Morgothrone is being watched by our enemies. I must hurry before it is light again."  He left the room like a shadow, melting into the darkness outside.

   "I do not like this," Caledorn said after Radarian had left, crossing his arms.

   "Nor do I. But we don't have to like it, we have little choice in the matter," I replied. "And to be fair, if they accept my deal they are honor-bound to leave us alone."

   "We can only hope. But for now we must focus on the present. If they do accept our terms, how many men will be added to our force?"

   "Ten thousand at least, perhaps more. The Khan's army is strong," I said as I took a sip of tea.

   "Ten thousand! That's far more than even I expected," the elf admitted. "We shall surely win in that case."

   "Not necessarily. It depends on if the enemy hides in their fortress, and if Mordor sends reinforcements."

   "We already cut off the reinforcements from Khand, what more could they send?"

   "Orcs, Haradrim, goblins, Uruks, trolls,-" I started, counting them on my fingers as I listed them.

   "Fine, your point is made," Caledorn interrupted irritably. "We will have to hope Mordor holds back."

   "We'll know by dawn tomorrow, the scouts will return by then," I said, setting my tea cup down. "I am in need of some rest, if you don't mind."

   "Indeed. You need it my friend." Caledorn stood and showed himself out, leaving me to a fitful and nightmare-filled sleep.

========================================

   I awoke with a start, covered in sweat and scimitar in hand. Someone had entered my tent.

   "Prince Rukil?" Nadow asked, surprised at my response to him entering. "The scouts have returned. The commanders all await you to plan our assault."

   "What commanders do you mean?" I asked, still groggy from just having woken up.

  "Ours, plus two generals from the Khan's army who arrived during the night. He readily accepted your terms, and sent a chest of gold as a sign of goodwill."

   "Indeed? Good then. I shall be there shortly, I must first put on my armor," I replied.

   "Oh, and regarding that..." Nadow wandered over to my armor stand. "One of my men took some liberties with your armor. You'll find that it is now much more befitting of a prince."

After admiring the armor for a moment longer, he left my tent and I stood, stretching my back before I slowly walked over to the armor stand. It had been polished at least, that much was clear. It was so shiny that I could see my reflection in it. I looked tired.

   I slowly pulled the scaled armor on over my nightshirt, careful not to tarnish it. I noticed that several deep purple tassels had been added to it, and a more prominent crest had been fastened onto my helmet. The original dark purple shirt that went directly under the armor had been replaced with a black velvet one, golden runes stitched into it. Though I personally preferred function over appearance, it would be wise to make a good first impression on these generals. They surely knew my background, that I hadn't been raised as royalty. It would take some extra convincing to show them that I wasn't a backward fool.

   Once I had fastened the armor on, I took one last look in my mirror before leaving. I had to admit, I looked quite impressive. With the armor polished as it was and my scimitar at my side, I looked every bit the prince that I was supposed to be. Whether I was on the inside or not remained to be seen.

   I exited the tent, drawing the surprised gazes of several of my men who were wandering the camp. They began to murmur to themselves as I passed, though whether in awe or mockery I did not know. I soon arrived at the tent that the commanders were waiting for me in, and when I entered all present stopped and bowed, much to my surprise.

   "So you must be Prince Rukil," a golden-armored man who I didn't recognize said after bowing. "I am General Tariq. I brought with me General Palshazar, commander of the Second Wain Division." At this the other Easterling bowed low as well.

   "I am honored," I said, returning the bow. "Forgive my ignorance, but which division do you lead?"

   Tariq laughed slightly. "I am the general of the entire army, I do not command one division. Did you think that the Khan would be so foolish as to not send his best commander?"

   "Of course not. I am glad we will have such a prestigious ally in the battle to come," I said slowly, choosing my words more carefully than I normally would.

   "Right! Well enough pleasantries, let us get down to the planning!" Tariq leaned over the map, pulling out several chess pieces. "I always carry these around, just for planning," He said with a grin. "Now... This piece is my army, which is currently stationed just outside Morgothrone." He moved the piece into place. "The enemy is stationed in the fortress of Redoir, here." He pointed to the location, moving another piece to mark it off. "As I see it, this puts us at a strong advantage. Your army will move in from the south, while ours moves in from the east."

   "Where will Palshazar's force be?" I asked.

   "We have not decided yet," Tariq replied uncertainly. "There are several options that make sense, but we could not reach an agreement on the clearest choice."

   "What about here?" I asked, pointing to a spot north of the stronghold. "They would be surrounded that way. The only problem will be luring them from the fortress in the first place..."

   "We've already figured that part out. Originally, we thought it'd work best to have you send your army alone, so they would become overconfident and attack you blindly. But we realized that you probably wouldn't agree to such an arrangement. So here is the current plan..."

This is it!!! The next chapter will be the battle! I hope you guys are ready for it, I know I am!

Budngh - High Rhunic for pudding. Not used commonly, only in select phrases.