Read Dragonvein - Book Three for Free Online Page B

furled his brow. “Did you say trolls?”
    “I did, Your Highness.”
    Halvar noticed a knowing look in Lotheri’s eyes. “I take it that this does not come as a surprise to you?”
    “That they came to your gate is a bit surprising,” the elf king admitted. “Trolls are shy creatures. And they do not care for dwarves living in their mountain.”
    “You speak of them as if they were intelligent,” Halvar said.
    “And you have treated them as if they were not,” he shot back. “Not all intelligence manifests as you would expect.”
    Halvar turned back to the young dwarf. “What are they doing?”
    “Just standing there, Sire.” He nodded toward Lotheri. “One of his people is with them.”
    “What do you know about this?” Halvar demanded.
    Lotheri rose to his feet. “I sent one of my people to seek them out when we first entered the mountain. More as a courtesy than anything else. It would be rude to trespass in their domain without at least an explanation.”
    “ Their domain?”
    A flash of contempt appeared on Lotheri’s face, but was quickly banished. “This is their domain, and has been long before your people ever set foot on Lumnia. They are the first and the oldest. They feel the Mother’s heart more deeply than any other. If they have come to give aid then you should be grateful.”
    “Don’t misunderstand,” said Halvar. “If they would fight on our side, I am grateful. But from what we know of them, they are gentle creatures. For all their size and strength, only the young are violent.”
    This time Lotheri was unable to hide his anger. “Their young were made that way by you. Your intrusion into their home, together with your constant mining and carving into the rock, drives them insane. The deeper you delved, the greater their madness became. Eventually, they were even forced to drive their own children away. So, the fact that they are here and not battering down your gates is indeed no small surprise to me.”
    Stunned by this outburst, for several seconds Halvar wilted under the pressure of Lotheri’s hard gaze. “If what you say is true, then we were unaware of the harm we were causing.”
    Lotheri waved this defense aside. “You would not have cared, even had you known. The greed of the dwarves has been unwavering since your arrival. You take what is not yours and leave nothing behind but death and chaos.”
    This insult was too much for Halvar. His anger surged to the fore. “And I suppose your people are entirely blameless? You may think us interlopers… King Lotheri. But this is our home. We have been here long enough to make that claim. Just because we do not feel the will of this world as you do, that does not give you the right to judge us.”
    Tension filled the air as the two men glared at each other. For a time it seemed as if they would actually come to blows. It was Lotheri who relaxed his posture first.
    “I did not come here to fight,” he said, his tone now conciliatory. “And though it is difficult for me to admit, your words are justified. Your people have been here long enough to call Lumnia your home. As I understand it, only a few of you are even aware of your otherworldly origins.”
    “A secret soon to be revealed to all dwarves, I suspect,” said Halvar, his eyes darting to the young messenger who was looking both nervous and confused. “And do not think I am unaware that my people have wronged yours. But that was in another time, and we have no desire for conquest or to rule others. We seek only to live in peace – without the constant threat of annihilation.”
    “Then we truly are of one mind,” Lotheri told him. “It will be difficult for the elves to accept that you are blameless. But in time they may soften their hearts.” He stepped toward the door. “Come, Your Highness. Let us see what the trolls have to say.”
    Halvar heaved a sigh, then forced a smile. “I can only assume that you are able to understand them. As far as we have