Cenric whispered in the king's ear once more. Eadred smiled, then rubbed his beard, deep in thought.
"Very well," he finally announced. "Go to Ebenstadt. See what you can discover. We shall make a stand if the fates allow it, but in the meantime, we must prepare for the worst." He turned his attention to Kargen. "Gather your people, Kargen of the Red Hand. If you can find enough of them, we will make a stand here, at Runewald."
"I shall do as you suggest," said Kargen.
"I do not wish my people to suffer," said the king, "but it is obvious to me that many wish to remain, despite the risk. We will, therefore, prepare for war. I shall send word to all the villages to call out the fyrd and march here. In the meantime, Athgar and his woman will discover what they can about the enemy."
"That is all I ask," said Athgar, bowing.
"Now," said King Eadred, "there are many plans to be made. Be off with you all, and sharpen your axes; they will be needed."
Those assembled began to file out. The overall mood was exuberant, many slapping their friends on the back and talking of the coming battle.
"If only they knew the truth," said Shaluhk, using the Orcish tongue. "I fear many of them will not live to see better days."
Kargen nodded his head. "Your words are wise, my bondmate, but we as a people must stand up to aggression, or it will destroy us all."
King Eadred waited until the hall had emptied before turning to Cenric. "Athgar is a problem for us."
"He is, my king. He has turned the village against you."
"He has indeed. We cannot allow him to get away with it, else he will soon sit upon my throne."
"Give me the word, and I shall see him banished. I will do it myself if needs be."
"No," said Eadred. "There is a better way. Athgar is going to Ebenstadt, and it provides us with a unique opportunity. While he is away, I shall reclaim my power."
"And when he returns?"
"That's just it," said the king. "You will see to it he does not. Athgar of Athelwald must die."
"And the woman?"
"Her too. I shall not suffer a skrolling amongst us. Her words have helped turn my own people against me."
"I will do as you say," said Cenric. "When shall I strike?"
"Wait until after they have left Runewald, then none shall know of their deaths. The villagers will, in time, make their own conclusion that they have been abandoned by these troublemakers."
"An excellent plan, my king."
"That went much better than I had anticipated," said Kargen.
"Too much so," said Natalia, taking her seat by the fire once more. "He's up to something."
"Who?" said the Orc. "The king? Surely not?"
"I spent a lot of time at the Volstrum learning how things work at court. I can tell when someone is lying."
"What would Eadred hope to gain by lying?" asked Athgar.
"He wants to maintain his power," she explained.
"What of it? Our plan doesn't take it from him."
"That's where you're wrong. He has lost the confidence of his people. He will seek to regain it."
"And so he can, by defeating the Church."
"King Eadred is only interested in himself," said Natalia. "I doubt he really wants to fight. Why would he? By moving farther eastward, he can still live as a king, while at the same time avoiding conflict."
"No, he can't," said Athgar. "He'd have to fight the Orcs for space."
"It is true," said Kargen. "He is obviously more afraid of the outsiders. He would prefer to fight us than have to deal with knights."
"Let's suppose that's true," said Athgar. "What would be his next move?"
"He talked of raising the fyrd," said Shaluhk. "What is that?"
"It's a local army," said Natalia, "consisting of trained villagers. At the Volstrum, we would refer to it as a levy."
Shaluhk thought a moment before continuing. "If he is calling them from the other villages, do you think he means to subjugate Runewald by occupying it?"
"It is possible," said Kargen, "but I suspect he has more direct action in mind."
"Such as?" asked Athgar.
"I think he means to kill you," offered Kargen.
"That would inflame the villagers even more," said Natalia.
"Only if they knew of your death," the Orc chieftain continued. "Remember, he approved of your plan to travel to Ebenstadt. I think he intends to kill you on your way there."
"That being the case," said Shaluhk, "you should take precautions."
"We shall remain vigilant," said Natalia, "but we cannot change our plans. Without detailed knowledge of their numbers, we can't devise a defence."
"I have an idea," said Kargen, "but it will require some careful timing."
"In that case," said Natalia, "perhaps Skora can fetch us some mead?"
"I shall be delighted," the old woman replied.
Cenric crouched at the edge of the woods, hidden from view as he observed Athgar's hut. The three Orcs had just emerged, bidding the Therengian bowyer goodbye, and the great warrior smiled, knowing his prey would soon be on the way themselves.
His men shuffled nervously, and Cenric turned to calm them. "The time is nigh," he said. "We shall shadow them until they are far beyond the confines of Runewald."
"And then?" asked Ardhelm.
"We shall slit their throats as they sleep," the big man replied, "and that will be the end of it."
"We must ensure they are far enough from the village that their bodies are not found," the younger man replied.
"Do not worry," said Cenric. "We will bury their bodies deep in the woods. Even the crows will not find them."
Athgar watched as the Orcs disappeared into the forest.
"I wish they were going with us," said Natalia.
"So do I," he replied, "but a city is not the place for Orcs."
"I have your things packed," called out a familiar voice.
Natalia turned in surprise. "Already? You are
