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Narren was coming to confront Fredin just as he had planned. Vingaza sat back and watched the show.
    Narren walked up to Fredin with all of his entourage around him. That was his first mistake , because now he had to try to demonstrate his power and Fredin wasn’t going to allow him to do that.
    “Fredin, you asked me to have my orcs clear the worst areas and they are. Why are your pets just standing around watching them work? Why don’t they help? They have magic.”
    Fredin just smiled wider. “You question Fredin? Are you challenging my rule in Dungin Mountain?”
    The orc at least had the sense to try to deny he had challenged the much larger Fredin. He was obviously put off, but after looking around at the gathered orcs, he felt he had to try to keep up appearances. “I didn’t challenge your rule. I asked why your pets aren’t helping.”
    Fredin laughed in his face. “Of course you didn’t challenge me . You are a kobold. That is why you challenge the humans.”
    Vingaza watched the other orc chief with delight. He could almost see the chief’s brain trying to figure a way out of this as the orc’s already smushed face scrunched up in anger. “You call Narren a kobold?”
    “I called you a kobold, and just like a kobold you’re going to scurry off and hide instead of stand and fight.” Just like that Fredin had forced the other orc ’s hand.
    Narren pulled a long , curved blade off his back.
    Fredin stepped forward with a smile on his face , drawing his huge greatsword. The caves didn’t offer a lot of space for a sword like this, so he had started carrying on his hips the two dwarven swords that he had found. They were two-handed blades for the shorter race, but he could wield them both with ease. In this chamber, though, there was plenty of room, so he had elected to use the greatsword.
    Vingaza watched the smaller orc as Fredin drew his weapon. Just by the scared look on his face Vingaza knew that the fight was already over, though not a single blade had moved yet.
    Fredin began moving forward. When Narren swung his big , curved blade Fredin didn’t try to block or move, but swung his own sword. The greatsword slammed into the large, curved blade. He had intended to knock the sword out of Narren’s hand or at least just knock the blade out wide, but it simply broke under the weight of the blow. The blade clattered to ground. Narren stepped back, clutching the hilt of what was now only a few inches of jagged steel. He leapt forward, trying to drive the broken steel into Fredin’s chest. Fredin dropped his own sword and caught Narren’s wrist. His other hand reached up and grabbed the smaller orc by the throat. Narren’s eyes went wide. Fredin’s smile grew. He pulled the arm with the broken blade out wide, and then he lifted Narren up high before quickly swinging his body back down. Fredin went down with him. Narren’s head hit the ground with a dull thud followed by a clanking sound as the handle of the broken sword bounced away. Fredin stood as a pool of blood began to slowly spread out around the head of the fallen clan chief.
    “Gather the Narrens.”
    Vingaza watched as a couple of orcs exited the chamber in different directions. Then he watched as Fredin turned to retrieve his sword. Another orc was bending down to pick it up. The orc seemed to be just retrieving it for Fredin, but Fredin didn’t wait to find out. Before the orc had even finished standing with the sword in his hand, Fredin reached across his body, grabbing the sword on his left hip with his right hand, and brought it out in a flash. By the time anyone in the room registered that he had the blade in his hand the orc holding Fredin’s greatsword had been relieved of his head and was falling to the ground. Fredin bent down and wiped the black orc blood off the dwarven blade using the dirty shirt of the orc whose blood was now pouring out an open neck. He slid that blade back into its scabbard on his hip. Then he reached