Jake held the wood elven portal code in his mind and pushed it into the control orb. The large stone ring at the center of the room hummed with power and the blue line around the inside shone. Within the ring, a watery blue circle shimmered into existence. A translucent image spread across the surface of the portal, showing a three-deep line of wood elves waiting on the far side with raised bows.

Ardic gestured towards the portal and nodded at Jake. “We’ll await your signal.”

His heart in his throat, Jake braced for impact and stepped through the portal. Magic tingled across his skin, followed by warm, humid air.

Three rows of rangers, each a dozen wide, trained their bows on him. Jake swallowed hard. Not exactly the welcome he’d been hoping for, but at least they weren’t shooting.

Not yet, anyway.

Off to the side stood Keeper Laotan and a ranger with a wand at her belt.

“Check him now,” Laotan said in Wood Elvish, his carefully controlled expression giving away little.

The caster stepped forward and stared intently at Jake. After carefully examining him, she stepped back and said, “He’s clean.”

The rangers’ bows adjusted slightly, pointing at the portal instead of Jake. A slight improvement, at least. Had they been worried he was mind-controlled?

Laotan bowed his head. “Greetings, Jake Tolabar So’aroaska. Will your… allies be following you?”

Jake bowed from the waist. “Greetings, Keeper. They will. They’re coming to help. Would you lower your bows, please?”

Silence stretched out, and none of the rangers moved. Was this going to be more of a problem than expected?

The Keeper nodded, and the rangers lowered their bows. One problem down, how many more to go?

Jake looked behind at the large wooden ring that contained the portal. From this side, the portal was translucent, showing only the smooth bark wall behind. He gestured to the portal exit and waited.

Luther strolled out of the portal like he had every right to be there. Ardic… did not. He glanced around wildly, his hands twitching by his side. At least his battleaxe was slung over his back.

“Laotan,” Jake said, “This is Lord Tonvalbortdelan. Ardic, this is Keeper Laotan Erinbar So’aroaska.”

The two leaders stared at each other, breathing slowly and wearing carefully controlled smiles.

Ardic’s nose twitched. “Tonvalbortdelan humble requests passage through the Great Forest.”

No response. What was their problem?

Jake bit his lip. There wasn’t time for this. “We’re here to save as many lives as possible. Is that going to be a problem?”

“No problem,” Laotan said. “You may have temporary, revocable access for the purpose of fighting the dungeon spawn. My rangers shall guide your troops to the forest floor.”

Ardic grunted an acknowledgment and beckoned through the portal. Dwarven soldiers marched out three abreast. Jake, Luther, and Ardic moved toward Laotan, and several of the rangers began directing the dwarven army.

“Thank you,” Jake said, his stomach rock hard. “Have you heard anything more from Tolabar?”

“No, nothing since they were cut off from the tree-song.” Laotan’s chin quivered for a moment. “They remain enveloped by a circle of corrupted trees, and we cannot spare the Rangers to break through.”

They had to be alive. They couldn’t all be dead. “How many Rangers can you send with us?”

Laotan straightened up and clasped his hands behind his back. “You and the dwarves have free passage through our domain.”

None? Jake’s blood boiled. “They are wood elves, your own flesh and blood!”

The Keeper’s throat bobbed ever so slightly. “They may already be dead. The defense of our own village must come first. I’m sure you understand.”

Jake stared at him, struggling to hold back a bitter laugh. “A human and a dwarf army come to the aid of the wood elves, and you tell us to understand that your own defense comes first?”

“Yes.”

The rangers still in the room exchanged furtive glances. They couldn’t all be okay with abandoning Tolabar to its fate.

Hadn’t Laotan been the reasonable one before?

Jake swallowed. That had been before dungeon spawn had overrun swathes of the Forest. “The dwarves fight well, but they do not understand the Great Forest. Even a few rangers would make all the difference.”

Laotan’s jaw stiffened. Was he even going to answer? He drew in a long breath and looked away. “A single ranger might make the difference between our survival and the destruction of our entire village.”

“Or it might not!” Jake’s nostrils flared. Now wasn’t the time to play it safe. “I can teach your casters how to teleport here from anywhere, and how to communicate through the portal stone.” At least, he would be able to. Hopefully.

“And if they die?”

The image of a goblin driving its blade into that poor dwarf’s neck tore at Jake’s insides. “That is the risk that every ranger takes to do what must be done.”

The Keeper’s lips stretched into a sneer. “Every ranger except for you, Hero.”

Fire rampaged through Jake. What the hell did that have to do with it? “For all your wood elven talk of sticking together, when it comes down to it, you’re cowards.”

“Easy to be brave when you cannot die and it isn’t your loved ones aren’t at risk.”

Pain stabbed at Jake’s heart. Yes, she damned well is. “I could have left this stupid world. I stayed because I give a shit. Do you?”

Laotan tilted his head and eyed Jake carefully. “At this dark hour, I cannot send my Rangers to die for another village, not while their own home is in grave peril. I’m sorry.”

Ardic stepped forward with a grim expression. “I understand the weight that bears down upon you, upon both of us. The eternal demand that we do everything that we can to protect our people.”

“Then you understand why I cannot.”

“I understand why you feel that, and why you are wrong.” Ardic’s lips pressed together. He glanced between Luther and Jake and sighed. “My people only survived because orc battlemages fought by our side.”

Laotan recoiled, his eyes wide. “The Order of the Battlemage, defending Valbort?”

Ardic nodded and stared at the floor in front of him. “Had these two not ignored my orders and conspired with those I considered enemies, the town would have fallen. The cooperation that I rejected saved my people when I could not.”

Was that a flicker of doubt, a chink in Laotan’s armor?

“If we are to survive, someone has to trust first,” Ardic said. He looked up and gave Luther a curt nod. “Teach them our portal code and instruct our garrison to offer any and all assistance required by this village.”

“Yes, sir. How many men should they hold in reserve?”

Ardic paused. He drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Defend this village as if it were Valbort itself.”

“Sir, that could leave us dangerously undefended.” Luther’s brow furled. “We barely survived the last dungeon spawn attack.”

“That’s an order. As you said, old friend, we shall not survive these times divided.”

The corners of Laotan’s lips twisted into a sneer. “And what do you expect in return?”

Ardic caught Jake’s gaze, closed his eyes, and swallowed hard. “Nothing.”

“Nothing?” Laotan laughed bitterly. “A dwarf asking for nothing in return? I was not born last year.”

“Jake aided us in our time of need. We dwarves honor our debts.”

“Words are cheap.” Laotan took a step backward and crossed his arms. “How can I trust you won’t back out when the time comes?”

Ardic straightened up and placed both his hands on his chest. “I pledge it on my honor as a dwarf, on the honor of my Lord-line, and on my honor as a warrior.”

Laotan shook his head. “We have records, dwarf, and even longer memories than your own. I cannot stake my reputation upon the honor of a stranger.”

“I have fought alongside them,” Jake said. “I vouch for them, as a Ranger.”

Laotan scoffed. “The word of a human Lookout counts for less than you believe.”

Fire boiled in Jake’s chest. “Tolabar needs your help.” He squared up to Laotan and snarled, “Look me in the eye and tell me you’re abandoning them to die!”

“Stand down, Lookout!”

Jake’s fists clenched. Technically true or not, this was probably a bad idea, but what the hell. “Keeper.”

Laotan blinked. “What?”

“Every other Tolabar ranger is either dead or impossible to reach. That makes me our most senior ranger. So, yeah, Keeper, thank you very much.” Jake shook his head and stepped back, resisting the urge to smash the bastard’s face in. “We’re going to save Tolabar, and whoever else needs saving in the Great Forest. Any rangers willing to join us will be welcome.”

Oratory skill increased 3 → 4!

Laotan glanced around at the sympathetic faces of the wood elves around him and sighed. “If any rangers wish to go, let them.”

The other rangers exchanged glances. A brief, awkward pause passed, and one of them spoke up. “We’ll spread the word, Keeper.”

Jake bowed his head. “Thank you.”

How many would come? Would it be enough?

***

Cara looked around the almost empty meeting room and her heart sank. Too many familiar faces were missing, and a fresh scar marred Elivala’s. Even Gramok’s cheery grin was gone, replaced by a blank stare, while sorrow seeped through the cracks in Jeremy’s mask.

So much death, and for what?

“As I expected,” Jeremy said solemnly, “we’ve been unable to destroy the dryad corpse.”

Phelan leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “We can’t do that another four times.”

Elivala shook her head. “No, we can’t. We don’t have the forces.”

“What of the other villages?” Gramok asked.

Tension filled the air. That was the question no one else dared to ask. Cara’s heart twisted. Either they couldn’t come, or they weren’t going to. Both possibilities were worse than the other.

What about Jake? Was he still coming? Was the Emperor going to help? Or had he whisked away his long-lost son back to the capital?

Maybe it was best Jake wasn’t here. What could one low-level caster do, skilled Spellcrafter or not?

Elivala rose to her feet and lifted her chin. “We have to assume we’re on our own.” She looked across the assembled Prowlers with dull, half-dead eyes. “We are rangers. We will do what needs to be done. We will survive. Options?”

Silence.

What options were there? Fight and die, hide and die, or…

The unthinkable.

Jeremy had to have a plan, right? Cara stared at him, willing him to speak. He always knew what to do.

Her mentor shrugged. “We fight. What other option is there?”

Cara stared at him, her jaw ajar. How could none of them see the option staring them in the face? “We run.”

“Abandon our homes?” Phelan laughed. “Preposterous.”

One by one, the other Prowlers shook their heads. Even Jeremy.

What in the Deep-Forest was wrong with them? Cara met Gramok’s gaze, but the orc merely shrugged. It wasn’t his home. He didn’t even get a vote.

Elivala crossed her arms. “Leaving Tolabar is not an option.”

Heat flared through Cara. “Why not?”

No response.

Cara shook her head and snorted. “Because we’ve always lived here?”

More maddening silence.

She stood up and scowled at the idiots. “We won’t be living here when we’re dead!”

“Cara…” Jeremy gave her the look he always used when she did something stupid. Only this time, she wasn’t the one being stupid.

A maelstrom of rage swirled in her chest. What was wrong with them? “If we attack, we’ll die. If we wait, we’ll starve—if they don’t kill us first. Staying isn’t a plan, it’s suicide!”

“We’ll find a way,” Jeremy said, in that stupid tone that reminded her he knew more about everything. “We always have before.”

“Times are changing!” Cara bit back tears. “If we don’t change with them…” Why couldn’t they see it?

“Running isn’t an option,” Elivala said, with a note of finality.

Vines tightened around Cara’s lungs, cutting off her air. How could they be so stupid? They were all going to die and all she could do about it was join them.

If she hadn’t come back, if she’d kept looking for a solution, if she’d stayed with Jake…

Elivala’s shoulders slumped, and her gaze fell to the floor. “Ready everyone old enough to hold a weapon for combat. We won’t go down without a fight.”

A chill ran down Cara’s spine.

“Everyone?” Jeremy asked.

Elivala closed her eyes and nodded. “Everyone.”